The daughter of bankrupt businessman Seán Quinn has said she wrote to solicitors for the former Anglo Irish Bank earlier this month to seek mediation to resolve the dispute with the bank over contempt-of-court issues.

Aoife Quinn told Shannonside radio station that she sent the letter to law firm McCann Fitzgerald within the past seven days but a spokeswoman for the family later clarified that the letter was sent about a fortnight ago.

“We have already requested mediation. We are waiting to hear back from Anglo,” she said.

A spokesman for the bank declined to comment on whether it would respond to Ms Quinn.

Her comments are in contrast with those of her sister Ciara, who said the family’s legal dispute with the bank was “a war” in a speech to a rally held in Ballyconnell, Co Cavan on Sunday. “This is a war and when it is over, I and my family will still be standing,” she said.

Aoife Quinn said yesterday the family were not trying to hold out for a resolution. “A war has been brought to our door and we are trying to stay alive and we want to be standing at the end of this. But we are not here inviting something; we are defending ourselves,” she said.