Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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307. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will confirm that the tragic Stardust fire disaster of 14 February 1981 is being re-examined by her Department. [6854/15]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I met with the Stardust Relatives' and Victims Committee in July of last year and this meeting provided an opportunity for me to hear their concerns at first hand. At that meeting representatives of the Committee set out, in some detail, their concerns in relation to the Inquiries into this matter that have been undertaken previously and some related financial issues that have arisen.

Following that meeting, I appointed an official in my Department to liaise with the Committee and they have engaged with representatives of the Committee in relation to these matters. With regard to the question of any new evidence that might warrant the consideration of a further inquiry, two reports compiled by a researcher associated with the Committee were submitted to my Department since my meeting with the Committee. However, subsequently the researcher concerned requested the return of these reports; my Department complied with this request. My Department has requested that the decision to withdraw these reports be reconsidered so that the reports can be the subject of examination in my Department. There are ongoing communications between representatives of the Committee and my Department, and further material has been submitted to my Department as recently as this week; this material is being examined and a response will issue in the near future.

I wish also to inform the Deputy that allegations raised by the Stardust Relatives' and Victims Committee and their representatives in relation to certain matters are the subject of an ongoing investigation by An Garda Síochána. I am informed, by the Garda Commissioner, that this is a complex investigation and, you will understand, I cannot do anything that might cut across this investigation.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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308. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will initiate a commission of investigation, under the 2004 legislation, into the Stardust tragedy of Saint Valentine's Day, 1981 and the subsequent Keane tribunal report. [6855/15]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, following a long campaign on the part of the victims, Mr. Paul Coffey SC was appointed in 2008 by the then Government, with the agreement of the Victims Committee, to review the case made by the Committee for a new inquiry into the fire. His report was published in January 2009. He concluded that the original Tribunal finding of arson was a hypothetical one only and that no-one present on the night can be held responsible. He further concluded that in the absence of any identified evidence as to the cause of the fire, the most a further inquiry could achieve would be another set of hypothetical findings, which would not be in the public interest. The then Government accepted Mr. Coffey's findings and motions were passed in both Houses of the Oireachtas endorsing his conclusions and expressing sympathy with the families.

I accept, of course, that some of the victims and their relatives of this dreadful tragedy do not accept the conclusions of the Independent Examination, during which persons were free to make their case to Mr. Coffey. Indeed the concerns of the Stardust Committee in this regard were outlined to me when I met with representatives of the Committee last July. This meeting provided an opportunity for me to hear their concerns at first hand. At that meeting the Committee set out, in some detail, their concerns in relation to the Inquiries into this matter that have been undertaken previously and some related financial issues that have arisen. Since that meeting my Department has engaged in extensive communications with representatives of the Committee in relation to matters raised by them and these communications are ongoing.

I remain open to considering any material that the Committee or their representatives wish me to consider in this regard and my Department has, in its communications, made that clear. 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.

I wish also to inform the Deputy that allegations raised by the Stardust Relatives' and Victims Committee and their representatives in relation to certain matters are the subject of an ongoing investigation by An Garda Síochána. I am informed, by the Garda Commissioner, that this is a complex investigation and, you will understand, I cannot do anything that might cut across this investigation.