Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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148. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he has reviewed the new evidence in relation to the Stardust tragedy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6983/14]

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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157. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will consider reopening the Stardust inquiry in view of new evidence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7197/14]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 148 and 157 together.

As I have previously indicated, nothing I have seen in the extensive correspondence from the Stardust Victims Committee to date, including the considerable volume of correspondence circulated recently, would be grounds for my taking a different view to the conclusions set out in the Independent Examination by Mr. Paul Coffey. That is, in the absence of any identified evidence, the most another inquiry could achieve would be another set of hypothetical findings, which would not be in the public interest.

It had been indicated in reported statements that the Committee intended to present a submission concerning the cause of the fire on the occasion of the forthcoming anniversary. Whether at that time, or at any other point, I will of course arrange for the examination as appropriate of any such submission, and for a response to issue to the Committee in due course.

In saying this I should caution against raising unrealistic expectations about what can be achieved or appearing to suggest that the outcome of the Coffey examination can be set aside, simply on the basis that his conclusions are not accepted by some.