Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Thomas P. Broughan for raising this matter and his comprehensive review of the tragedy. The fire in the Stardust nightclub in 1981 was an horrific tragedy. The loss of life and widespread injuries caused by it stand as one of the greatest tragedies in modern Irish history. Of the 700 young people in attendance that night, 48 never came home and 128 were seriously injured. Devastated survivors and families, together with the local community, all struggled to come to terms with the scale of the disaster. I was 19 years old at the time of the fire and had attended various cabarets at the Stardust nightclub. I think of the tragedy every time I drive along the Kilmore Road and on Valentine's Day and every time I see or hear a reflection of the 1980s. I have no doubt that all those who were caught up in the tragedy think about it every day of their lives.

A tribunal of inquiry set up at the time made several recommendations and their implementation led to a complete transformation of fire safety and protection laws. The view was that everything should be done to ensure such a fire would never happen again. The finding that the cause of the fire was probably arson caused widespread hurt to the families affected. In 2008 Paul Coffey's report concluded that the finding that it had probably been caused by arson was merely hypothetical. Motions were passed in the Dáil and the Seanad to the effect that there was no evidence that the fire had been started deliberately and that the cause of the fire remained unknown. In addition, Mr. Coffey found that none of the victims of the fire, or persons present on the night, could be held responsible for it. He also found that the public interest would not be served by establishing a further inquiry. I have, however, read media reports which suggest previous drafts of his report had been watered down and that he might, in fact, have suggested there was a need for a new inquiry. I have no knowledge of this and think the matter needs to be fully explained by the Department of Justice and Equality.

As a local public representative since 1985, I have worked with the Stardust relatives and victims committee on several issues.

I have worked with the victims' committee on a number of issues, including certain planning applications regarding the Stardust site and the provision of a suitable memorial. The Stardust Memorial Park is now part of the community in Bonnybrook. In addition, a lot of work was done on identifying the remains of five previously unidentified victims.

I am aware of a new demand for a commission of inquiry to establish the cause of the fire. According to a report in The Irish Timeson 24 January 2017, the committee believes significant new evidence has emerged in recent years. I understand that this has been uncovered by the researcher for the families, Geraldine Foy. The issue seems to relate to the location of the fire when it first broke out. There is a dispute about whether it broke out in the seating area or the roof space. I have not seen this new evidence, but if there is new evidence it must be investigated.

I have noted the Government amendment to the motion and I am in agreement with it. I support the Government amendment but as other speakers have said, I sincerely hope this process will be a speedy one. I hope it will be finalised as soon as possible and that the families involved finally receive justice and some sort of closure. I note what Deputy O'Sullivan said about the word "closure". Perhaps that is not possible, but as national legislators we should certainly do everything to ensure that the families can move on from this as best they can. I echo the words of my colleague, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan that this cannot be dragged out. We need to get to the bottom of it if we can. We should certainly do everything we can in this regard. I hope this debate will set the process moving speedily, so that we can bring some sort of finality to this long-standing issue.

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