Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Today I raise the issue of new and important evidence relating to the Stardust fire tragedy. It is important to remember what happened in the early hours of 14 February 1981, when a catastrophic fire swept through the Stardust disco in Artane, which is in my constituency. There were 850 people present and most were between the ages of 18 and 25. Sadly, 48 people died and 128 people were seriously injured. The nightmare continues today for the families affected, who seek the truth, facts and, above all, justice. We should remember that the Stardust fire remains the greatest disaster to have occurred in the history of the State, so these families deserve our support, compassion and, above all, justice.

I have supported these families for many years and now they want the truth, so surely they are not asking for too much. I urge the Minister seriously to consider the new evidence put together by Robin Knox & Associates, fire and building regulation consultants, and the legal team for the Stardust families. I raised the issue with the Minister for Justice and Equality on 10 December 2013 and in response the Minister indicated that no new grounds were put forward. He also stated that there were no plans to reopen the inquiry.

Today I ask the Minister to examine the new facts and evidence. The transcripts of the 122 days of evidence to the 1981 Keane inquiry referred to over 500 photographs of the incident scene. The photographer selected and presented approximately 100 prints to the inquiry. There were no photographs of the kitchen, the remains of the first floor store, the lamp room, the purported basement, the cold room, the ground floor stores or the ground exit passage to the door below the first floor exit and the external escape stairway. This is new evidence not considered by Keane.

Researchers asked in 2006 for a photograph of the firefighting water-filled basement that Mr. John Gallagher, senior counsel for the independent examination, and later Mr. Paul Coffey, senior counsel, were offered. The families knew at the time that there was no basement, and that is also new evidence. Both of the Coffey independent examination reports from 10 December 2008 and 7 January 2009 include the first and second floor plans prepared by the researchers at the request of Mr. Gallagher, which also show new evidence. The plans were prepared by the families from facts garnered in their own investigation and knowledge, and without the advantage of the 1981 transcripts of evidence. The Coffey reports do not mention the basement, and this is new evidence. The Coffey reports mention a cold room that was not mentioned by the Keane inquiry, and this is new evidence. At the European Court of Human Rights, an observation relating to the Stardust families was that the "applicants noted in their observation that they did not receive a copy of the letter of 14 February 2008", which was after the Coffey review. However, the applicants did not indicate how this letter, which explains some of the reasons the police did not pursue prosecutions in 1982, could constitute "new, relevant evidence".

I call on the coroner to revisit the issue and reopen the incomplete inquest into the cause of death for each victim. We should hear the new and truthful facts.

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