RELOCATION:HEALTH INSURER Quinn Healthcare yesterday announced it is to move its business from Fermoy to a new facility at Little Island closer to Cork city. The move was greeted with dismay by business leaders in Fermoy.
The company confirmed the move in a statement yesterday, but stressed that no jobs would be lost with all 300 or so staff based at the Mill Island premises in Fermoy transferring to the new, €25 million Quinn Insurance facility in Little Island, Cork.
Quinn Healthcare general manager Donal Clancy said the company made the decision to facilitate continued business growth and to improve the working environment of the Quinn Healthcare team, with the move taking place over the next six months.
Mr Clancy pointed out that the Mill Island facility, which Quinn Healthcare acquired when it took over Bupa Ireland in 2007, had capacity for about 300 staff, whereas the new facility will accommodate 800 staff including some Quinn Insurance personnel.
Mr Clancy said a number of options were considered, including the part relocation of the team, but this could have impacted on delivering high-quality customer service and, given the growth in business, would not be sustainable.
“Our Cork office allows us to be located as one team in a first-class modern building with the ideal office environment,” he said.
“We will be working closely with the team to ensure that the transition to a new location works as smoothly as possible.”
However, Fermoy Enterprise Board chairman and Independent member of Fermoy Town Council, councillor Michael Hanley said the news was a serious blow to the town which has suffered job losses with lay-offs at Sanmina SCI and the closure of FCI in 2008.
“The news is a disaster for us, plain and simple and the manner of the arrival of the notice like a bolt out of the blue is very disquieting – it’s a big loss to Fermoy town as people were coming here to work in Quinn Healthcare from anything up to 20 miles.”