Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, for attending and the Minister, Deputy Shatter, for contacting us and giving his apologies. The Minister of State may recall it is almost a year ago today that I raised the same issue with her on the approach to the 32nd anniversary of the Stardust tragedy. We now approach the 33rd anniversary. The same unease and the same grief remains that this important legacy issue has not been dealt with. The Stardust Relatives and Victims Committee campaign is clearly showing the need for a commission of investigation into this tragedy under the 2004 legislation and I am calling for this investigation.

On hundreds of occasions in my time as a public representative, I have highlighted the concerns of the Stardust families that the cause of the fire was not adequately or correctly investigated by Justice Keane's tribunal or subsequently. Most recently, I have raised the matter with the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste. The families of those who died or were injured are rightly dissatisfied with the Keane report of 1982 and the subsequent report of Paul Coffey in 2009. As the Minister of State may be aware, a Garda investigation is now taking place into alleged perjured evidence presented to the Keane tribunal in 1981. In recent years, there have also been a number of instances of new evidence emerging about the tragedy. The families have in their possession research which points to inconsistencies between an earlier version of the Coffey report from 2008 and the final published report by Paul Coffey SC in 2009. They also note that a Garda letter sent to Paul Coffey in 2008 concerning the map of the Stardust presented at the Keane tribunal was not furnished to the families. They also have new evidence which I understand they will publish on the 33rd anniversary this Friday.

Based on research carried out by independent researcher, Ms Geraldine Foy, and a leading fire expert on these islands, Mr. Robin Knox, it seems clear that the fire started in the roof space of the Stardust nightclub where cleaning and other flammable materials were stored. The time line of the first external witnesses to the fire, as outlined by Ms Foy at a recent press conference in the Skylon Hotel, strongly supports this conclusion. The implications of this research are profound for finally establishing accountability for this terrible tragedy and for vindicating the memories of the young people who died and to bring closure to the great suffering of their relatives down through the decades.

Recently, the release of the 1983 State papers underlined the need for a new fresh inquiry. It was reported, on the release of those papers, that a confidential Government memo cautioned against fully implementing all of the recommendations of the Keane tribunal report because of the potential that it could leave the State open to civil liability claims for similar future accidents. It seems clear the Haughey Government of the day and subsequent governments were not overly concerned about getting to the root of this matter.

Earlier this year, I highlighted evidence also obtained by Ms Foy through a freedom of information request which showed that crucial aspects of an earlier unpublished draft of the Coffey report were not included in the final published version. Among other things, Paul Coffey stated in that draft: "I further accept that a new inquiry is necessary if it is the only way of placing on the public record a finding that is based on evidence". Basically, the missing excerpt of the report related to the lack of an established cause of fire based on evidence having been erroneously arrived at by the earlier Keane report.

Members of the Stardust Relatives and Victims Committee have argued continuously that there were seven significant alterations of the Coffey report between it being in draft form and the later published version. They are very anxious that a short sharp commission of investigation is held into this tragedy. Last year I think the Minister of State associated herself with addressing one or two of the most critical legacy issues in our country and getting resolution for the victims and relatives. I hope she urges the Minister to do the same.

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