Lynn Boylan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I know others have mentioned that today is St. Valentine's Day. I am also mindful that it is the anniversary of the Stardust fire that took place in the early hours of 14 February 1981, when 48 young people went out and did not come home and hundreds more were injured. I was with the families at the vigil last Saturday where a large memorial has been unveiled to them. They are all feeling that this is the year, after four decades of campaigning for truth, for answers and for justice that they might finally be able to get those answers. I wanted to mark their anniversary today and to wish them all well for April, when the inquest begins. No doubt this will be the largest inquest in the history of the State and while the families are anxious for it to start and get under way and to explore what exactly what happened on that night, it will also be an emotional and trying time for them and will open up a lot of wounds. I wish them all the best and to let them know we are thinking of them today, on the anniversary of that fire, and that hopefully, this will be the year we finally get the answers for them.