Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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61. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she will outline the financial and functional supports that have been provided to the Dublin Coroner for the Stardust Inquest; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26068/22]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, Budget 2021 included an allocation of up to €8 million in funding for the new inquests into the victims of the 1981 Stardust fire tragedy. The funding was retained at €8 million in Budget 2022 and is expected to cover costs including the following areas:

- Provision of temporary office accommodation for the Stardust Inquests team;

- Assignment of additional staff to the Dublin District Coroner’s Office;

- Provision of facilities for the public facing elements of the Inquest;

- Development of a website and provision of ICT;

- Provision of legal and expert advice to support the Senior Coroner in her important work; and

- Provision of civil legal aid. 

In 2021, a bespoke courtroom was built in the RDS to facilitate the Stardust inquests.  This venue was used to hold 8 pre-inquest hearings (with the remainder held in the Coroner’s Court in Store Street) and was also used to hold 97 other Dublin Coroner inquests during this time.

My Department confirmed on 8 February 2022, that it had secured the Pillar Room in the Rotunda Hospital as a new venue for the Stardust Inquests in advance of the expiry of the RDS contract at the end of February. The courtroom for the Inquests has now been installed in the Pillar Room by the OPW. I understand that the Senior Coroner anticipates that the Pillar Room will be used to hold the next pre-inquest hearing scheduled for June.

In May 2021, the Civil Legal Aid Regulations 2021 was enacted. These Regulations allow all families, on an exceptional basis, to access legal aid for the Stardust Inquest, regardless of their means.  The established practice, where a legal aid certificate is granted by the Legal aid Board, is that my Department takes responsibility for the processing of payments authorised by the Board for both solicitors and barristers. These payments come from my Department’s funds and not from the Legal Aid Fund.

While the provisions cited above will be sufficient to cover the initial preparations,  the final cost of the Inquests will not be clear for some time. This will depend on the length of time and costs of legal and other expert advice and facilities deemed necessary by the Coroner.