Tycoon defends Quinn Insurance as he looks for joint deal with Anglo Irish Bank

Sean Quinn says he would be "happy to set aside all financial interest and all influence" in Quinn Insurance, the insurer he founded, according to the Irish Independent.

Quinn said the insurer would thrive once it had removed the ‘investment risk’ associated with his time at the helm.

And he defended the financials of Quinn Insurance, saying it had enjoyed "the highest profit margins of any general insurer".

Quinn is understood to be trying to persuade Anglo Irish Bank to revisit pursuing a joint bid for Quinn Insurance.