Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 17 Feb 1981

Vol. 326 No. 10

Artane (Dublin) Fire Tragedy.

The Taoiseach

Dáil Éireann is called upon today to record the sorrow of the nation at one of the most terrible and tragic events of its kind in our history.

Our hearts go out in sympathy to the parents, families and friends of all the victims who have been so tragically and so suddenly bereaved.

We pray God will give them every consolation in their grief and loss and we hope for a speedy recovery for all those who have suffered injury.

I feel sure that the House will also wish me to place on record our deep appreciation and gratitude to the Dublin Fire Services, the Garda, the Army, medical and religious personnel, hospital managements and staffs, whose prompt and magnificent response to this awful tragedy deserves the highest praise.

I wish, also, to express our admiration for the bravery shown by so many members of the general public and, particularly, by all the boys and girls who put their own lives at risk in their efforts to rescue others from the holocaust as so many of them, through their heroism and selflessness, succeeded in doing.

I would like to acknowledge gratefully here all the many messages of sympathy which have been received not only from at home but from around the world and which are deeply appreciated.

Tomorrow the House will deal with the question of the establishment of a Tribunal of Inquiry into this disaster but today we meet to convey our deepest sympathy to the families of all the victims of this terrible tragedy.

As a mark of that sympathy, a Cheann Comhairle, I move that Dáil Eireann stand adjourned until tomorrow.

Dr. FitzGerald

There is little that I can add to what the Taoiseach has said. Yet, inevitably and through no fault of his, his words cannot in substance convey the depth of the feelings that have overwhelmed all of us in the face of this tragedy. We have not faced anything quite on this scale before and no tragedy has been so concentrated in the area affected: none has affected such a particular age group in our society as this one has done. The feelings of everybody in the country seek expression and cannot readily find it in these circumstances.

It is right that the Dáil should adjourn as a mark of respect to those who died in this affair and I should like to support everything that the Taoiseach has said, both in terms of good wishes for the recovery of those injured—the majority of whom hopefully will recover — and his words of gratitude to all those who endeavoured to help and who did minimise the death toll that otherwise could have been an even worse disaster, including also the ambulance personnel.

I do not think there is anything more one can say on an occasion of this kind and it would be a mistake to try to add anything further.

Mr. Cluskey

On behalf of the Labour Party I extend deepest sympathy to the families and friends of those who died or were injured in last Saturday morning's fire at the Stardust Club, Artane.

No words of mine can ease the pain of those who lost sons or daughters, brothers or sisters, relatives or friends in that tragedy and their sorrow will remain with them far into the future. I hope, however, that the words we say here today and indeed feelings of shared suffering which we attempt to express, will in some way be of value to those who have been bereaved as they struggle to come to terms with the enormity of the tragedy which has befallen them. Those who died could have been the children of any of us. I am sure this thought entered the minds of all parents when the first news of the tragedy was broadcast last Saturday. Because those who died could have been our children we can feel deeply the suffering and pain of their parents and families and we share the loss almost as if it were our own.

As we speak here today and sympathise with the families and friends of those who died, we think also of the communities from which they came. The north city communities of Artane and Coolock and their neighbouring areas have been deprived of the hope and comradeship of those young people and all that they had to offer. The loss of 44 young men and women will be felt deeply throughout the area. But the bonds of friendship, co-op eration and mutual support which exist there are strong and abiding and these bonds will be utilised to the full as these neighbourhoods struggle to overcome their loss and their grief.

This is not the time to comment in detail on the circumstances surrounding the fire, the effect of which was a national disaster. It is necessary, however, to say that there are lessons which must be learned from last weekend's holocaust. That much at least is owed to those who died, to those who are injured and to those who are bereaved. This was the latest in a series of incidents which point to the inadequacy of the country's fire prevention and emergency systems. These must be overhauled as quickly as possible if further disasters are to be avoided.

I share the Taoiseach's admiration for the members of the Fire Brigade, the Army and other ancillary services and particularly for the medical profession in our hospitals who did so much not only to save life and to comfort those who were bereaved, but also to give such prompt and effective service to those who were injured. I totally agree that it would be appropriate that the Dáil should be adjourned.

Dr. Browne

As politicians, word spinning is our trade and fine phrases are a part of that profession. Yet, skilled and experienced though we might be at the job, there is little or nothing we can do to comfort the unhappy parents in Artane for the sudden, terrible and tragic loss of their children. We can hope for a speedy end to the suffering and the full recovery of the injured.

Law making also is our responsibility. Tomorrow, let us in this House show the serious and sincere intent of our protestations of sympathy this afternoon by the effectiveness of the laws we pass here and the remedial actions we take to stop this awful and avoidable tragedy occurring ever again anywhere in the country to any of our people.

I support the motion.

Question put and agreed to unanimously.

Members rose in their places.

The Dáil adjourned at 2.45 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Wednesday, 18 February 1981.