Varadkar pledge to Quinn directors

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has met the directors of Quinn Industrial Holdings (QIH), including Kevin Lunney, and pledged: “Law and order must, and will, prevail, in all parts of the country.”

The garda investigation into the attack on Mr Lunney and threats to other QIH directors continues, though minister of state Michael D’Arcy claimed on RTE’s The Week in Politics that QIH executives were “disappointed” that they had been left on their own to deal with the campaign of intimidation against them.

Fianna Fáil justice spokesman Jim O’Callaghan said Mr Darcy’s comments were “unhelpful” and “bizarre”, accusing him of trying to “pass the buck onto the gardaí on the ground in Cavan”.

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris defended Cavan gardaí, as did Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan, who added that An Garda Síochána and the PSNI were working together “at historically close levels” under the new joint investigation team agreement signed this week.

Mr Varadkar said he sought the meeting to thank QIH directors “for their courage, their determination, and their commitment to this vitally important company”, adding:

“In particular, I wanted to thank Kevin Lunney for the resilience he has shown following his barbaric abduction, assault, and torture.

I assured them that their own security, that of their employees, and law and order in the border region is treated with the utmost seriousness at the top of Government.

QIH welcomed “the personal interest taken by An Taoiseach” and added: “The company believes the establishment of a joint investigative team is a critical step and is satisfied that the necessary resources and resolve are now in place for an effective investigation.”