Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I too support Deputy Thomas P. Broughan’s motion to establish a commission of inquiry into the 1981 Stardust nightclub fire. I would also like to state my admiration for the Stardust Relatives and Victims Committee and their relentless pursuit of justice, and for Deputy Broughan’s tireless campaign on behalf of the Stardust committee for over 30 years. The families and their solicitor have long been deeply sceptical of the 2009 Coffey report, stating that over 70 highly significant changes made to the report before its publication had the effect of neutering and diluting Mr. Paul Coffey’s original recommendations, including his acceptance that a new inquiry might be necessary. The Stardust Relatives and Victims Committee has presented new evidence to the Department of Justice and Equality. The programme for Government states: "Full regard will be had to any new evidence which emerges which would be likely to definitely establish the cause of the fire at Stardust."

Independent researcher, Ms Geraldine Foy, has spent 14 years researching the Stardust fire on behalf of the victims and families. She knows more about the Stardust fire than anyone else. She has spent the equivalent of three to four PhDs worth of research time on this issue. Why does the Government ignore the new evidence already uncovered and already presented by the committee and by Ms Geraldine Foy? Why does the State not trust the testimony of the people from the community?

The only person ever prosecuted in relation to the Stardust fire was the singer, Christy Moore. This was in 1985, when he wrote and released the song, "They Never Came Home", about the Stardust victims. Christy Moore’s song called out the Government and the owners of the Stardust building. It was deemed to be libellous.

In his book The Rocky Road, Eamon Dunphy presented the following assessment of the State’s handling of Stardust: "In the Stardust Story, there lie clearly visible the seeds of the myriad scandals to follow that have rendered Ireland a republic in name only: cronyism; the brutal cynicism of all politicians; the callous indifference of a lazy media class; the endless prevarication of authority when faced with inconvenient truth; and the prosecution of the whistleblower." One has to ask whether anything has changed in the ducking and diving we have seen this week. No words in this House will take away the pain, but justice might help.

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