Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

I thank all the Deputies who spoke on this important motion. I concur with Deputies on all sides in what was said. Deputy Bruton was very gracious to acknowledge the efforts made by former Taoiseach, Deputy Bertie Ahern, as was Deputy Quinn.

I very much welcome what Deputy Quinn said on this issue, on behalf of those of us sitting on this side of the House, for my recent involvement as Minister and that of the Attorney General and the Government. I do not think people should underestimate the enormity of what the Government is proposing in this regard. Thankfully, we are getting all-party support on the motion. As Deputy Quinn quite rightly said — he has experience of being in Government — it is significant for us to turn around and correct what is wrong or correct a perception that people were being blamed when they should not have been. It is important we put up our hands and come in with a motion and declare the wrong conclusion was drawn. Credit must be given to Mr. Coffey for the forensic manner in which he examined the particular report.

I echo the sentiments of those Deputies who expressed thanks to those who have come before us. I have no doubt that those who looked at all the issues did their best within the circumstances and restrictions in which they found themselves to try and get to the bottom of what exactly happened on this particular occasion.

I fully empathise with the sentiments expressed by Deputy Quinn with regard to being a parent and waiting for the door to shut at 4 or 5 o'clock in the morning when one's children return. Parents do not get a night's sleep until that happens. Recently, I said to my wife that I got more sleep when my kids were two or three years of age than I do now they are 18 and 19. I empathise with any parent in that respect. None of us can imagine the difficulties and the hurt these families have undergone over the past number of years. I just hope that by doing what we are doing here today we can in some way assuage the difficulties they have experienced over their lives.

I thank the families for their persistence in addressing this issue against what they may have felt were people putting obstacles in their way, although these were genuinely doing their level best, but working within the restrictions being in Government involves and the restrictions involved in dealing with culpability in such issues.

On the question of whether lessons have been learned, like Deputy Quinn, I was a young solicitor plying my trade in Dundalk around that time, having qualified in 1976. I recall the incredibly quick changes that took place — Deputy Quinn as an architect would be aware of this — with regard to fire safety regulations and standards within months of this incident happening. I remember from my time in the District Court that many publicans and dancehall owners were put to the pin of their collars to try to fulfil and comply with the new regulations introduced.

We have changed legislation to put the onus on owners and have changed the regulations relating to fire safety. We have put resources into the fire services. I cannot say whether we could say this will never happen again, but we can take some credit for the fact that over the past three decades political parties of every hue that have been in Government have put in the resources and changed the legislation.

I thank the families for their persistence and for the representatives they have had. As far as the Government is concerned, it more than willingly brought forward this motion. We received a first draft of the report before Christmas. There has been no delay on the part of the Government. Mr. Coffey requested on a number of occasions, subsequent to delivering his first report, to make a number of slight amendments to it. We did not get the final report until 7 January and it was only then the Government could deliberate on it. Having taken the Attorney General's advice and having discussed it at Government, it was decided on 23 January to publish the report and move this motion in the House.

I welcome the all-party support on the motion. I welcome too the reaction of the families to the report. I hope and pray that what we are doing here today will assuage some of the hurt and grief caused to them as a result of this horrific incident in 1981.

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