Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Go raibh maith agat.

In many ways the State carried on abysmally in its treatment of the Stardust families and survivors. Why did this and previous Governments not meet the Stardust relatives and victims committee? The Taoiseach in the House today accepted that the families have never received full and frank answers to what happened on 14 February 1981. They deserve that every effort be made to provide them with answers. The Taoiseach also stated he did not see any difficulty in having members of the Government meet the families and that must happen as soon as possible. A date should be put forward by the Government immediately to start the process.

It is very important that a commission of investigation should take place into this tragedy as a number of questions must be fully examined. For example, there is strong evidence of a fire in the roof space, with health and safety protocols and other evidence pointed to other culpability never being properly examined. The logical course of action is apparent. There should be a new independent investigation established as quickly as possible. I was a frequent patron of the Stardust and I had been there just the week before, with many others from north Dublin. We want answers to what happened to our neighbours and friends on that fateful night. As legislators and a Government, we owe it to the 48 people who died their families, their friends and the hundreds who were injured on that tragic night.

See this speech in context