QIH staff call for solidarity after attack

This attack was not only an attack on Kevin, but on the entire staff and community,” staff at Quinn Industrial Holdings (QIH), marching against the ongoing campaign of intimidation against the local businesses, have said in a statement this afternoon.

The statement came as hundreds of staff marched in protest against the attack.

QIH chief operating officer Kevin Lunney was abducted from near his home on Tuesday evening earlier this week and subjected to a serious and savage beating before being dumped at the side of a road in rural Co Cavan.

The event is set to start at 3pm today, where workers and senior management gathered at the Quinn Quarry Office before making their way to the Quinn Building Products (QBP) Head Office.

A petition, signed by all staff within QIH in support of a statement made by staff, is also being delivered.

“In the wake of Tuesday's horrendous, premeditated attack on Kevin Lunney, our colleague and Chief Operating Officer, in which he was abducted and viciously assaulted resulting in hospitalisation, we the staff at QUI want to express our unequivocal support for Kevin and his family and wish him a full and speedy recovery from the horrific injuries that have been inflicted on him,” the staff statement begins.

“Our thoughts and prayers are first and foremost with Kevin and his family at this time. He his highly respected and held in high regard in our company for his hard work, commitment and dedication to the staff, the business and the local community. This attack was not only an attack on Kevin, but on the entire staff and community.”

This attack is the latest in a campaign of intimidation against the directors and senior management of QIH.

It is not the first time Mr Lunney has directly been the focus of an alleged incident, where back in early February this year he was punched to the head. He suffered a broken nose, while Dara O'Reilly, QIH's chief financial officer had scalding water thrown at his face.

Both men were attending a local service station and restaurant in Ballyconnell to eat at the time.

Prior alleged acts of intimidation also include arson attacks at or near the homes or businesses of senior QIH staff.

The incident came just months after the QIHL's board wrote to the Garda Commissioner Drew Harris and Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan demanding more is done to bring those behind the campaign of attacks to justice.

Staff say: “We utterly condemn this and all previous physical assaults, arson attacks and intimidation on members of staff. The people who are perpetrating these acts do not represent us, or out views, and we plead with them to stop this campaign with immediate effect. The staff of QIH fully support the directors and senior management of the company.”

In that respect, staff are asking those in the local community to “come together in solidarity” to support Kevin and the Lunney family, and are pleading too to people to give “whatever support and assistance is required” to assist in bringing the perpetrators of the campaign of attacks to justice.

“We demand an end to this reign of terror, to all intimidation and attacks on management and their properties. We call on local politicians, the PSNI and the Gardai to allocate whatever resources are necessary to bring these perpetrators to justice and to bring an end to these brutal attacks so we can feel safe in our place of work and in our local communities,” the staff statement concludes.

 

 

QIH STAFF STATEMENT IN FULL

“In the wake of Tuesday's horrendous, premeditated attack on Kevin Lunney, our colleague and Chief Operating Officer, in which he was abducted and viciously assaulted resulting in hospitalisation, we the staff at QUI want to express our unequivocal support for Kevin and his family and wish him a full and speedy recovery from the horrific injuries that have been inflicted on him.

“Our thoughts and prayers are first and foremost with Kevin and his family at this time. He his highly respected and held in high regard in our company for his hard work, commitment and dedication to the staff, the business and the local community. This attack was not only an attack on Kevin, but on the entire staff and community.

“This attack is the latest in a campaign of intimidation against the directors and senior management of QIH. As a staff group, we utterly condemn this and all previous physical assaults, arson attacks and intimidation on members of staff. The people who are perpetrating these acts do not represent us, or out views, and we plead with them to stop this campaign with immediate effect. The staff of QIH fully support the directors and senior management of the company.

“We ask those in our local communities to come together in solidarity to support Kevin and the Lunney family, and we also plead with them to give whatever support and assistance is required to assist in bringing these perpetrators to justice.

“We demand an end to this reign of terror, to all intimidation and attacks on management and their properties. We call on local politicians, the PSNI and the Gardai to allocate whatever resources are necessary to bring these perpetrators to justice and to bring an end to these brutal attacks so we can feel safe in our place of work and in our local communities.”

To this end, we present a petition signed by all staff in support of this statement.”