Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Ar dtús báire, ba mhaith liom tacú leis an mBille atá os ár gcomhair anocht. Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire agus ar ndóigh na teaghlaigh atá linn sa ghailearaí. The Minister is welcome to the House for this important debate.It is important because any opportunity to reflect on issues of justice and rights is always exactly that. First and foremost, all our thoughts are with those who died, those who survived that awful fire and those families who lost loved ones. Many of them are gathered with us here in the Seanad Chamber today. I am very proud of my colleague, Senator Boylan, and her determination in bringing this legislation before us today. She has been a steadfast advocate and a champion voice in the European Parliament and in the Oireachtas for the Stardust families. I know they recognise and appreciate all of her solidarity, support and hard work over many years. The introduction and the intention behind this succinct legislation is simple. While I appreciate that all of the consequences, the trauma, the pain, the hurt and the loss associated with the Stardust fire are anything but simple, what this small, short Bill seeks to do is very simple in its intent. As Senator Boylan has said, I am equally proud that we are bringing this legislation before Members today but I agree with her that we should not have to. What does that say about a system that would hear the pleas of long-suffering families who want the fullest and most transparent inquest process and not give it to them? In my role as an elected representative I have had cause to deal with many families campaigning for truth and justice, some of them for as long as the Stardust families and some of them, for even longer. I have also journeyed with some of them in more recent years towards the uplifting experience of having an inquest and having the memories of their loved ones vindicated. I have a very minor and humble insight into what this means to the families but I know that none of us can appreciate fully just what a fully human rights-compliant and transparent inquest would mean to the families.

We have an opportunity here with this legislation, and not just today because I do not want this to be a stand-alone debate. If we are serious about supporting this Bill, then we have to action it. We must ensure that we do not come in here today and say all of the right things, including that we support or do not oppose this Bill but then allow it to hang in the air. There are real time constraints that matter in relation to the implementation of this legislation that would allow for a jury process in relation to the Stardust inquest. I hope that we will do the right thing by passing this legislation today and I am confident we will. However, I do not think any of us can allow it to remain on the shelf. We must act and we must act quickly.

The importance of a human rights-compliant inquest process cannot be overstated. As I said, I had cause, on a number of occasions - sometimes in my capacity as an elected representative, sometimes just walking in as an ordinary citizen - to attend the Ballymurphy massacre inquest. I know the families of the Stardust fire have the support of the Ballymurphy families and, indeed, the Bloody Sunday families. The Cathaoirleach joined me for a particularly poignant day when the families had the opportunity to read pen portraits about their loved ones at the Ballymurphy massacre inquest. What that meant to them to have that space and opportunity to do that and to have the necessary counselling support and the support of the courts. I want to make the point about just how important that is, and just how important it is that the families, as stakeholders, have that space and opportunity.

In concluding my remarks, we just passed a motion to establish two citizens' assemblies before this debate started. That is because we see the merit of engaging our peers, listening to one another and allowing citizens to have the space and a stake in issues of importance. The families of the Stardust fire are not looking for anything exceptional here. They are not looking for anything privileged or anything to which they should not be fundamentally entitled. Senator Boylan has outlined clearly the rationale behind this motion. I sincerely hope that we can agree on it tonight. However, as I said, we must ensure that it goes on the books to ensure that when the Stardust inquest begins, it has an open and transparent process attached to it. We must ensure that that is jury-centred and victim-led. I second the motion.