The fire at the Stardust which occurred this very night 20 years ago was one of the most shocking and horrific disasters to ever hit our city. Certain events etched in all our memories will stay with us until the day we die and the Stardust fire falls into this category. Nobody who lived in Dublin in 1981 will ever forget where they were when the heard of the disaster. The loss of 48 young lives and the maiming of so many others left a huge emotional scar on the city and nowhere was the pain and sense of loss more deeply felt than in the area I represent. Most of the victims were drawn from a relatively small geographical area in the parishes of Bonnybrook, Kilmore, Darndale, Priorswood and Artane. These people were members of the same families, kids who had gone to school together and workmates enjoying themselves on a St. Valentine's Day night out and they burned or suffocated to death in the most horrific circumstances trapped behind barred windows.
The sense of loss and anguish has been compounded by the belief that those responsible for the deaths of these people, those who put profit before the safety of the public, were not ever properly called to account for their actions and that the loss and suffering of the community in this area was never properly acknowledged by the State. In the aftermath of the Stardust disaster with the massive outpouring of grief, there appeared, initially at least, a real determination that a disaster like this would never be allowed to happen again but 20 years on, there is much to suggest that the lessons of the Stardust have still not been learned and that a similar disaster could well occur.
Some 20 years on, some of the key findings of the tribunal of inquiry have still not been implemented. As the chairman of the Chief Fire Officers' Association, Mr. Michael Fitzsimons, said, regulations are being broken in public venues throughout the country every night of the week, and probably this very night. He said fire services are creaking and that they do not have the personnel to inspect premises and that the public is not getting as good a service as it thinks. The four Dublin local authorities have had ongoing complaints from fire fighters about the state of readiness of the fire engine fleet and ancillary equipment.
Some 20 years on, ten local authorities have still not approved fire and emergency operation plans. Three councils – Limerick Corporation, Athlone UDC and Dundalk UDC – have not drawn up any plans and seven other local authorities, including Dublin Corporation, have yet to approve their plans, although they have been prepared. This failure to implement any of these recommendations is hardly consistent with the pledges we heard from those in authority that the lessons of the Stardust would be learned and that a disaster like this would not ever be allowed to happen. The chief fire officer drew our attention to the fact that there were supposed to be extra powers for fire chiefs in relation to the management of buildings, including overcrowding. There has not been any attempt in the past 20 years to set up a national fire safety training centre.
In recent days, we have read through many valuable media articles on the continuing suffering of the families of Stardust victims and survivors. There is a deep resentment that the compensation paid to victims families and survivors was far too low. When we note that only £7,500 was paid for every young person who died, it seems obvious that people from one of the most disadvantaged districts in our State were treated without any real respect. The profound emotional and physical suffering of survivors and victims' families in the past 20 years still needs an official response. We have heard from that remarkable woman, Ms Chrissie Keegan, and her daughters, that there are still profound needs for counselling, medical and general financial assistance and other needs for the victims and survivors – at least 200 to 300 people in all. I call on this Minister to respond to these profound needs of Stardust victims and survivors. The heroic struggle waged by Chrissie, her late husband John and her committee resulted in the construction of our wonderful Stardust Memorial Park and the beautiful memorial sculpture to our tragic young people who died.
However, the greater Coolock area is still hugely disadvantaged. Third level attendance from the Dublin 17 postal district remains the lowest in the country. There are still huge recreational needs for our young Coolock boys and girls and men and women, as I constantly tell the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Woods, and the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation, Deputy McDaid. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform saw at first hand the extent of the major and embedded anti- social problems, such as joyriding and addiction problems in parts of the area I represent. At a local level, therefore, the best enduring memorial to the tragic 48 youngsters of my area would be to provide full support for the recreational and educational needs of the present generation of young Coolock people.
Today on the news, the Minister for Health and Children seemed to defend large packed drinking venues when he said he was against bar deregulation. Any urban representative in this House will say that terrible overcrowding still occurs and often in the large drinking factories of Dublin's northside and outer suburbs. Recently, there was the horrible disaster at Lillies Bordello, a club near this House.
Even at this late stage, the lessons of the Stardust must be learned. As the families of those who lost their lives mark the 20th anniversary of the loss of their loved ones in Clonshaugh tonight, the Minister for the Environment and Local Government must now take immediate steps to ensure that all of the outstanding recommendations of the tribunal are implemented and that never again will the lives of so many young people be lost. I also call on the Taoiseach, the Minister and the Government to respond generously to the ongoing needs of the victims' families and survivors and to the needs of the 50,000 of the greater Coolock area.
