Kathleen O'Meara (Labour)

I understand the Taoiseach is preparing to meet the families of the Stardust victims. I hope that is the case and that it will happen soon. The Taoiseach is to meet them not simply on his own behalf but as leader of the country, and therefore on behalf of all of us, which is appropriate.

It is also necessary to find some mechanism to bring closure to the families of the victims. I recall hearing about the Stardust fire when I was in university and being shocked. The recent television programme about it was stark and upsetting. We must take into account that families continue to live with the impact of the event. I propose that the Leader suggest to the Taoiseach a review of all the Garda files in the case by senior counsel or a judge. This would be short of a tribunal but could include consultation with experts. It is disturbing to hear, as "Prime Time" revealed, that some experts dispute the original findings. It is important to do this.

It occurred to me when watching the programme that the awful event yielded some positive outcomes as halls around the country closed. There was an overnight awareness of the importance of knowing the location of fire exits, of safety and of the role of the fire officer. While it is disturbing to find the number of fire safety officers in Dublin is the same now as in 1981, there is a raised consciousness of the issue of safety, particularly in public places and where young people gather. The recent programmes are very fine examples of public service broadcasting at its best. If one needed an example of a good reason to invest in public service broadcasting, that was it, without doubt.