Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge the presence of the families who are here in the Visitors Gallery and commend their work. I also commend our colleague, Deputy Broughan, for bringing this motion forward. It is straightforward in seeking a commission of investigation.

No parent expects to bury a child. It goes against the natural order of things, yet these families faced that reality and have lived with it since that awful event. I am really disappointed that we are re-running a well run tape. The political system is telling the families that it will support them and will support their quest for truth, yet at the same time the latest barrier is thrown up to stall that quest. Why?

The Tánaiste's logic is perverse in the amendment she has moved. It seems she believes a commission of investigation should be limited to only that evidence that can be brought forward by the families or the committee. Of course, that is not the case, as it is the job of the State to find out what happened. It is not for the families or committee to do it and the State has an obligation to establish that.

The initial finding of probable arson was not just unsubstantiated, it was a lie. It maligned the good names of those 48 young people who were either burnt or died from smoke inhalation. It was a nasty, malign lie. Fortunately, those young people have been given back their good name as that finding was taken from the public record. Now the job is to go one step further and establish the commission of investigation rather than stalling any longer. The evidence should be examined, as the Deputies from Fianna Fáil have suggested, in order to test its quality and veracity. We should seek more information and evidence. If it is then the case that we cannot be conclusive as to the precise cause of the fire, so be it, but it is the job of the State to act immediately to establish those facts.

I have a friend called Debbie who was there on the night. I am sure she would like to give testimony to a commission of investigation. She describes the fire as she ran for her life - she lost two friends that night - as a monster in its ferocity. There are witnesses, evidence and testimony and it is the State's job to seek it out, not the families' job.

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