IT is a rags-to-riches tale that without skilled intervention could yet end in tears for Sean Quinn.

The Quinn Group today blasted as “pre-emptive, aggressive and unnecessary” yesterday’s move by the Financial Regulator to appoint provisional administrators to Quinn Insurance.

IRELAND’S second largest insurance company has issued a blanket ban on car cover for thousands of drivers simply because they are living in areas with a reputation for crime.

Quinn-direct has announced that it will give €300 of free home insurance for a year to any customer who has a motor policy with Quinn-direct and a health insurance policy with Quinn-healthcare.

ONE of Ireland’s richest men has been summoned to Killenaule District Court by Judge Terence Finn to answer questions on his company’s policy of providing insurance certificates to customers.

Quinn-Direct has today announced that it has instructed its solicitors, Mason Hayes & Curran, to initiate legal proceedings on its behalf against the Sunday Tribune newspaper for libel.

NEARLY one-third of claimants are challenging decisions issued by the Personal Injuries Assessment Board, although the compensation awards are acceptable to insurance companies in over 90% of cases.

QUINN-direct Insurance today announces that it made a Pre-Tax Profit of €123m in the six-month period to the end of June 2006.

Quinn-direct Insurance today announced that it made a pre-tax profit of €89m in the six-month period to the end of June 2005, an increase of 29% over the first half of 2004.

QUINN-DIRECT Insurance pushed sales up by 33% to €473m last year despite cutting premium prices by 10% to record pre-tax profits of €153m, up 19%.

Quinn-direct Insurance made a pre-tax profit of €153m in 2004, an increase of 19% over the 2003 result.

Ireland’s top six banks tonight agreed to waive charges on credit card donations for the Asian disaster appeal.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has officially opened the Q-Centre office complex at Blanchardstown in Co Dublin.

QUINN-direct Insurance, the only wholly-owned Irish insurer, today announced that it made a pre-tax profit of €69m in the six-month period to the end of June 2004, an increase of 33% over the first half of 2003.

Insurance group, QUINN-direct, has said that it continues to reduce prices and anticipates further reductions in 2004 subject to follow-through on the Government's reform programme.