Lynn Boylan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise a number of concerns regarding the Stardust inquest. Tomorrow there is a preliminary hearing into the inquest. It is being held at Store Street coroner's court. The families have been invited to attend. However, Store Street is the venue where the original inquest was held. It holds many bad memories for the families. The backyard of the court is where their loved ones' bodies were examined. The coroner's court was where the families sat through the original inquest which Professor Phil Scraton referred to as an abject failure. The concern of the families is that they are not going to be able to attend this preliminary hearing because it brings back so many hurtful memories of their last experience in that courthouse.They are asking why, when the Government has taken out a lease on the Pillar Room of the Rotunda, that is not the venue even for the preliminary hearings. Even if that venue is being used for other inquests, they should obviously be given priority because the lease is specifically for the Stardust inquest. Could we write to the Minister to express our concern on this? It seems to be deeply insensitive of the Coroner’s Court to pick this location without considering that this would be very hurtful for the families in attending it.

The other issue around the Stardust is the Bill I tabled in February about the selection of the jury for the formal inquest that would have it done in the same manner as juries are selected for criminal proceedings. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, gave assurances to the families that while my Bill might not do the job, she would bring forward her own proposals. I am concerned that we have very few sitting days left before the summer break to get legislation through both Houses and to have it in place when the inquest starts. We are not back here until the autumn and the lease on the Pillar Room runs out in February 2023. We are running out of time.