Stardust Tragedy: Motion.

Senator Donie Cassidy

I move:

That Seanad Éireann:

notes the report of the independent examination by Mr. Paul Coffey SC of the concerns of the Stardust Victims Committee in relation to the investigation of the cause of the fire disaster;

acknowledges that the cause of the fire is unknown, the original finding of arson is a mere hypothetical explanation and is not demonstrated by any evidence and that none of the persons present on the night of the fire can be held responsible for it;

accepts the view of Mr. Coffey that to establish a new tribunal to investigate the cause of the fire in the absence of any identified evidence would not be in the public interest;

supports the Government in establishing a committee to monitor the counselling and medical needs of the survivors and bereaved; and

expresses its continuing and deep sympathy with all of the victims and bereaved of the Stardust fire tragedy.

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science (Deputy Seán Haughey)

On behalf of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, I welcome the opportunity to move this important motion. The statement before us complements the motion passed in the Dáil earlier this year and is in keeping with the recommendations made by Mr. Paul Coffey SC, who carried out the independent examination of the case made by the Stardust Victims Committee.

The horrific events early in the morning of 14 February 1981 are foremost in all our minds when discussing this motion. Both the loss of life and widespread injury in the Stardust still stands as one of the greatest tragedies in modern Irish history. Of the several hundred young people in attendance that night, 48 never came home and 128 were seriously injured. Devastated survivors and families, together with the wider local community, all struggled to come to terms with the magnitude of the disaster in its aftermath.

The shock and outrage felt throughout Irish society at the time led to the establishment of a tribunal of inquiry, which came to damning conclusions on the adequacy of the fire safety and protection measures, including the means of escape. The tribunal report was no less rigorous in criticising the overall official framework for fire safety in the State as well as the effectiveness of the emergency response, notwithstanding the efforts of individual officers. The tribunal's criticisms and specific recommendations led to a complete transformation of our fire safety and protection measures. The collective outrage that was felt as a reaction to the Stardust disaster gave the reform programme an impetus. It brought about a determination to do everything possible to prevent a similar tragedy. Under the new legislative framework that was put in place by the Fire Services Act 1981, the person who is in control of a building has a specific statutory responsibility to take precautions to prevent the outbreak of fire and, in the event of fire, to ensure the safety of people on the premises. Under the new regulations that were introduced, the locking of doors and blocking of escape routes, which in the public mind had come to represent all that was most disturbing about the Stardust disaster, became specific offences. Powers of inspection, enforcement and prosecution were all strengthened. The fire service has been transformed, by comparison with how it operated in 1981, as a result of substantial investment in infrastructure, communications, equipment, staffing and training.

There was widespread dismay on the part of the victims and their families about the tribunal's findings on the probable cause of the fire. Today's motion, which follows that already passed in the Dáil, clarifies that record. Mr. Paul Coffey's report, which has been laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas, concludes that the finding of probable arson was merely hypothetical. Today's motion acknowledges the original tribunal's true finding that there is no evidence that the fire was started deliberately and that the cause of the fire remains unknown. On behalf of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform and the Government as a whole, I wish to acknowledge that paragraph 6.167 of the Report of the Tribunal of Inquiry on the Fire at the Stardust Artane, Dublin on 14 February 1981 states:

The cause of fire is not known and may never be known. There is no evidence of an accidental origin: and equally no evidence that the fire was started deliberately.

Critically, none of the victims of the Stardust disaster or the people present at the Stardust on the night of the fire can be held responsible for the fire.

Mr. Coffey was also required to consider the case made by the Stardust Victims Committee for a new inquiry. His conclusion is that the committee did not identify any new or existing evidence capable of establishing the cause of the fire. He states that while it could be argued that a further inquiry would at least establish whether the fire began in the west alcove or in the roof space, it seems to him that at a remove of nearly three decades from the date of the fire and in the absence of any identified evidence that might establish the cause of the fire wherever it arose, the public interest would not be served by establishing a further inquiry solely for that purpose. Mr. Coffey also considered whether a case can be made for a further inquiry to assess the probable cause of the fire. He concluded that in the absence of any confirming evidence capable of establishing the cause of the fire, such an inquiry could, at best, produce a hypothetical finding. As it would be incapable of proof or disproof, it would be of no obvious or forensic value. The Government accepts Mr. Coffey's view that the establishment of a new tribunal to investigate the cause of the fire would not be in the public interest, in the absence of any new evidence that might establish the cause of the fire.

I pay tribute to the efforts of the Stardust Victims Committee and its solicitor for their perseverance and determination over the years. It has been a long road but one on which important progress has been made at different stages. As a local representative, I have worked with the Stardust committee at various points along this journey. For example, I addressed its concerns about certain planning applications regarding the use of the site. I was pleased to work with the committee in securing the provision of a suitable memorial to the victims of the tragedy, which has been realised in the peaceful but poignant Stardust memorial park in Bonnybrook. The successful identification of the remains of the five previously unidentified victims has made it possible for the families in question to erect headstones and hold services for their lost loved ones.

I am pleased to recommend this motion to the Seanad and thereby allow Senators to pay tribute to the memory of the dead and the grief of their families and friends. The motion looks to the future by accepting the recommendation that arrangements should be put in place to ensure any outstanding necessary counselling and medical treatments are afforded to the survivors and the bereaved. I understand that discussions are ongoing with the committee's solicitor concerning the practical mechanisms in this regard. Officials have engaged with the relevant health service experts with a view to identifying the best means of assessing and meeting the welfare needs of those concerned. It is my strong desire that arrangements be put in place as soon as possible. I express my sincere sympathy to the victims and their families. I hope this motion, which forms part of a collective resolution from both Houses of the Oireachtas, will provide some closure for all affected by this devastating tragedy.

Senator Feargal Quinn

I thank the Fine Gael Party for allowing me to speak first because I have another appointment. I asked to speak on this motion because I have a very personal association with the Stardust fire. At approximately 5.30 a.m. on the morning of 14 February 1981, I received my first telephone call telling me what had happened during the night. My company employed a large number of those who were caught up in the fire. I think particularly of the five employees we lost, all of whom I knew well and all of whose families I visited in the days following the fire.

David Morton was a potential manager. He had started at the bottom before moving quickly up the ranks of our Northside branch. I still remember the sadness of George O'Connor's parents when I met them in the days that followed his death. They could not understand it. He was an active young man who loved coming to work. Liam Dunne, who also worked in the supermarket and was popular with everybody, lost his life on that day as well. I particularly remember two sisters, Mary and Martina Keegan, who died in the fire and whose parents, having lost two girls, were later actively involved in the Stardust committees. Another of their daughters, who also worked for us, was seriously injured. I knew each of the five employees of my company who died in the fire very well.

After the Stardust tragedy, I was most impressed by the spirit of those who survived, some of whom sustained injuries when they went back into the fire to rescue people they did not know. I would particularly like to mention Jimmy Fitzpatrick, who was seriously injured in the fire as a young man. I cite him as a representative of many others who were not initially injured but received injuries when they went back into the Stardust to rescue other people. Mr. Fitzpatrick has had to live with his injuries since 1981. The spirit, personality and charm with which he accepted the change in his circumstances was an example to everybody else.

I have mentioned the names of some of the victims because their parents and those who survived, like many of us, were really concerned about the original report. The recent report, which ruled out arson as the probable cause of the fire, represents a victory for the families. I welcome the acknowledgement in the motion before the House that "the cause of the fire is unknown, the original finding of arson is a mere hypothetical explanation and is not demonstrated by any evidence and .... none of the persons present on the night of the fire can be held responsible for it". The Minister of State, Deputy Haughey, who has been heavily involved in pursing this matter, understands the importance of that statement. His father was similarly involved in this case in the years immediately following the fire. As the Minister of State is aware, the suggestion that somebody who was in the building may have purposely caused the fire was a source of huge upset to the families who had to live with it afterwards.

I welcome and support this motion. I agree that it should be publicised in the hope that it will help the families who have suffered such sadness over many years. I am pleased that the suggestion that the fire might have been caused by one of those who were inside the building has been put to rest. I thank the Minister of State for attending and for giving his attention to this. As regards the points he has made, let us ensure such an event never happens again.

Senator Ivor Callely

I formally second the motion before the House and welcome the Stardust committee, survivors and friends who are present in the Visitors Gallery. It is correct that we should amend the record of Seanad Éireann by way of the motion before the House. The motion is a clear acknowledgement of a difficult and at times trying struggle by the Stardust committee which continued its fight against the authorities despite all the odds until it was vindicated following a 28-year campaign.

I congratulate the committee and the many people involved on bringing the tragic Stardust disaster to a satisfactory closure. Prior to my role as a public representative I was a local person who had attended functions in the Stardust along with many of my friends. I am very conscious of the scale of the tragedy that took place on St. Valentine's Day 1981. For people born in the late 1950s and early 1960s, St. Valentine's Day 1981 would have been a special day in any event and one we would have looked forward to celebrating. When we look back on that day when 48 people lost their lives and many other individuals and families were scarred for life, so many hearts were broken in bereavement and so many families and communities in the immediate area were affected. The date, 14 February 1981, is engraved on the minds of many northsiders.

It is human nature to associate certain events with where one was when certain seminal events happened, such as the Twin Towers tragedy, the collapse of the Berlin Wall, the John F. Kennedy assassination and the Stardust disaster. When I heard the news of the Stardust fire in the early hours of 14 February, I recall the immediate concern for family and friends, as well as the first telephone call to my family home from a relative overseas in the knowledge that we were living nearby to see whether we were all right. The hours that followed revealed our worst nightmare: 48 innocent lives lost and more than 120 injured and scarred. The weeks that followed brought home to us all the inadequacies in our system in terms of the policing of security in entertainment venues, bars on exit windows, chains on exit doors, inappropriate materials within such premises, the lack of co-ordination between State authorities, emergency services and supports, inadequate water supplies, innuendo and much more.

The Keane tribunal of inquiry that followed, while it addressed a number of issues, was flawed and caused further hurt to survivors, families, friends and the Stardust committee. I am annoyed at the length of time it has taken to correct the record on this matter. I am greatly upset at the manner in which the Stardust committee has been treated over the past 28 years. It is source of embarrassment. The committee has been remarkably successful on a number of fronts and is due unequivocal acknowledgement and congratulations. One crucial demand the committee has is that no such tragedy should happen again. In this regard many of the Stardust recommendations have been implemented or taken into account in some form or fashion, especially in the area of fire safety infrastructure and services.

I commend the remarkable determination of the Stardust committee and the role of the media, in particular our northside journalists, Tony McCullagh and Neil Fetherstonhaugh, in their publication, They Never Came Home: The Stardust Story. There was also the work of Ms Geraldine Foy in 2004 that clearly drew attention to the new evidence available to the effect that the report of the Keane tribunal was unsound, unsafe and inaccurate. A further initiative by the Stardust committee and their solicitor, Mr. Greg O’Neill, in 2006, Nothing But the Truth, which made the case for a new public inquiry, led to the appointment of Mr. Paul Coffey SC in 2008 to conduct an examination of the Stardust committee’s case. Mr. Coffey’s recommendations are welcome, and I especially note the concerns of the Stardust victims’ committee about the investigation into the cause of the fire disaster. His report acknowledges that the cause of the fire is unknown. It says the original finding of arson is a mere hypothetical explanation and is not demonstrated by the evidence and none of those present on the night of the fire can be held responsible for it. The report expresses its continuing and deep sympathy to all the victims and bereaved of the Stardust tragedy.

I want to make an additional plea today, namely, that the Government, the State and its agencies never allow such a miscarriage of justice to recur. The obstacles and instruments that block justice for such a prolonged period must be eradicated. The Stardust committee should be encouraged to work with the relevant Department to put in place protocols that would help individuals and groups who find themselves in similar uphill struggles against the Government, the State and its agencies. It is a daunting task for any individual or group to take on the State and fight a cause against all that power and might, with the frustration, worry, expertise required and money involved. Many give up. I salute the Stardust committee and all others involved in the campaign and I pay tribute to them. I warmly welcome the motion before the House.

Senator Eugene Regan

I, too, warmly welcome the motion which we in Fine Gael hope will give some solace to the families of the victims of this extraordinary tragedy and achieve some closure and finality on the issues they have had to deal with for so many years. This motion, on which all sides of the House agree and which corrects the record of the Seanad, is not a triumph for politics. It is a triumph for the families of the victims of this terrible tragedy. As has been said, it has been an extraordinarily long road in trying to find satisfaction for the complaint identified as far back as 1985 by Mr. John Keegan, founder of the Stardust Victims' Committee, whose daughters Martina and Mary died in the blaze and whose wife and daughter, Antoinette, are in the Visitors Gallery. I welcome them to the House as well as the other persons present, ably assisted by Mr. Greg O'Neill, their solicitor. They knew something was wrong despite the inquiry by the eminent Mr. Justice Ronan Keane and they persisted in trying to find the truth. They organised an independent report and submitted expert evidence. RTE's "Prime Time" broadcast on the subject and then there was the Nothing But The Truth campaign. All of this led, ultimately but very late in the day, to the appointment of Mr. Paul Coffey SC, the barrister who carried out this excellent report.

We have many lessons to learn as parliamentarians from the work which the families of these victims did over the years since this tragedy. There was a lack of sensitivity by Government and a mean-spirited approach to compensation and care for the victims. There is an extraordinary conclusion in the Coffey report from which I want to quote a few lines. On 22 October 1985, it says, the Houses of the Oireachtas established the Stardust victims compensation tribunal, which made 823 awards. It says that in many cases the doctors were shocked, not to say indignant, that people who needed medical advice and treatment were left without it for so many years. This issue has been dealt with in this report by Mr. Coffey and in the motion before us.

That central finding of Mr. Justice Keane is so important. Mr. Coffey puts it very succinctly when he says, "the tribunal's finding of fact that the fire was probably started deliberately is on its face a mere hypothetical explanation for the probable cause of the fire and is not demonstrated by any evidence that the fire was started deliberately." He goes on to say that in the absence of such evidence the explanation cannot be demonstrated to be objectively justifiable.

This is the kernel of the issue and caused so much angst, hurt and so many problems for so many of the families of the victims. There was a sense that the victims may have been responsible for the fire in question. It is very important, and I welcome the fact that the motion corrects the record of this House in that regard.

The leader of our party, Deputy Kenny, has had a very direct involvement in this issue. Our local representatives have been very much involved with the victims' committee and the representatives of the families of the victims directly. We are humbled by this issue and the mistakes made. We hope that in this motion, which is supported by all sides of the House, in setting the record straight, we bring some satisfaction to the families of the victims and assist in some closure of the issue. They will have our continued support in following up on this motion and dealing with other live issues.

Senator Donie Cassidy

I fully support the motion and join with the Minister of State, Deputy Haughey, in expressing my sympathy as Leader of the House with the victims of the Stardust disaster and their families. Some members of the victims' committee are here today and they are very welcome.

Nobody will forget St. Valentine's Day 1981. We had been at the Ard-Fheis and were on our way home and I have never seen so many emergency services vehicles on the streets of Dublin at approximately 2 a.m. that morning — ambulances, fire engines and Garda cars. We will never forget the activity on the streets of Dublin that morning. When we got up later in the morning we realised the terrible tragedy that took place in Dublin. From 1979 the most joyous occasion in my lifetime was the visit of the Holy Father to the Phoenix Park, and then we had this terrible disaster on St. Valentine's Day 1981, which was probably the saddest. As has been said in this House by a colleague today, we will never forget it. It was the saddest day in the history of Dublin in our lifetime.

Mr. Paul Coffey, SC, has been widely praised here and rightly so. The recommendations of his report have the backing of the Government and give rise to today's motion, providing an opportunity to address the long-standing concerns as to the cause of the Stardust fire. As the Minister of State said, the Coffey report highlights that the original finding of probable arson was hypothetical only and not fact. Mr. Coffey's report calls on the Government to put on record the original finding that there is no evidence that the fire was started deliberately and that the truth is that the cause of the fire is unknown.

None of the young people attending the Stardust can be held responsible for or implicated in the fire. The Minister of State, Deputy Haughey, has put this on the record of the House on behalf of the Government. He said:

I wish to acknowledge that paragraph 6.167 of the Report of the Tribunal of Inquiry on the Fire at the Stardust Artane, Dublin on 14 February 1981 states as follows:

The cause of fire is not known and may never be known. There is no evidence of an accidental origin: and equally no evidence that the fire was started deliberately.

I have enormous experience in the entertainment industry since 1963, and this fire was everybody's nightmare and horror. Many of examples that were found to apply that night have resulted in many changes to standards, and thank God for it. The Government has accepted Mr. Coffey's discretionary recommendation that arrangements be put in place to ensure the outstanding medical or counselling needs are met. It is essential that this be done. Our understanding of how to respond to a tragedy of this nature, the importance of counselling and support, has evolved dramatically, as we all know, since 1981. The skills and expertise acquired should be put in place and put into effect in this instance.

There have been major changes since 1981 in the responsibilities for the prevention of fire and the protection of the public in the event of fire. The Fire Services Act 1981 quickly introduced an entirely new regulatory regime with widespread impact. While none of us can say a tragedy of this magnitude could not happen again, part of the legacy of the Stardust is that the mechanisms now in place were inspired by the shocking realisation of what could happen in the absence of proper safeguards.

I praise the efforts of the victims' committee and its solicitor for their dedication and determination over the years. While our words are of little significance relative to their great loss, I hope today's motion is some small comfort or vindication. As I have said, I will never forget the Stardust disaster. It is fitting that the Minister of State, Deputy Haughey, is here today. As we all know, his late father was seriously concerned to do anything he could in his time. I acknowledge that here today.

Senator Brendan Ryan

I welcome the motion and the distinguished visitors to the Gallery. The Coffey report is a vindication of the heroic and valiant 28-year campaign by the Stardust families to achieve some level of justice for their loved ones and for the survivors of the 1981 Stardust inferno. I especially welcome two of the recommendations, namely: "that the cause of the fire is unknown and that none of the persons present on the night of the fire can be held responsible for it", and on the urgent need to establish "a committee to monitor the counselling and medical needs of the survivors and the bereaved."

It has been a very long and hard struggle for the Stardust victims and relatives committee. Progress to this point has been the result of a tremendous effort on behalf of the Stardust victims and relatives. I pay particular tribute to the work of Ms Christine Keegan, Ms Antoinette Keegan, Ms Gertrude Barrett and Ms Bríd McDermott of the Stardust Victims and Relatives Committee without whom the Coffey report would never have come about.

The 1981 Stardust tragedy was the worst fire disaster in the history of this State. On that fateful night, 48 young people, predominantly from Bonnybrook, Kilmore, Coolock, Darndale, Kilbarrack, Raheny and Donaghmede, went out for the night socialising and so tragically never returned home to their families. The impact of the Stardust disaster on these communities, throughout Dublin and the rest of the country was devastating.

Some families lost two or three of their beloved sons and daughters. On some streets every second house had a family connection to one of the tragic victims or indeed survivors of the inferno. The scars of that night are deeply etched across those communities and have been made worse by the appalling and, at times, almost inhuman way that the Stardust victims and relatives have been treated in the 28 years since the disaster.

The abandonment of the Stardust victims and their relatives by the State and the refusal to forensically investigate every aspect of what really happened on that tragic night is without doubt one of the most shameful and unjust episodes in our country's entire history and ranks with some of the most serious miscarriages of justice ever.

In the mid-1980s survivors and the bereaved received very modest compensation payments. Basic things such as counselling services for the survivors and the bereaved or ongoing medical monitoring for those who had been severely injured on the night of the fire were never made available. The horrific deaths and injuries of that terrible night were also compounded by the conclusions of the flawed Keane tribunal report. The conclusion contained in that report that arson was the most probable cause of the 1981 fire was particularly offensive for the Stardust survivors and relatives. They rightly felt that this cast a slur on their blameless loved ones who had innocently gone out for a night and ended up in the inferno at the Stardust club. A key element of the Stardust families' campaign, which has been vindicated in this report, has always been to have this unsafe and indefensible conclusion rejected.

The Labour Party strongly welcomes the conclusions in the Coffey report which clearly acknowledges that the original Keane tribunal conclusion that arson was the cause of the fire is unsound and unsafe and must be officially and publicly rejected. Mr. Coffey's key recommendation that the Government should correct the public record "by placing on the record of the Dáil and Seanad an acknowledgement of the Tribunal's findings that there is no evidence that the fire was started deliberately and that the cause of the fire is unknown" provides a full vindication of the long campaign of the victims' and relatives' committee.

The core of Mr. Coffey's report therefore adopts and accepts one of the long-standing key arguments of the Stardust relatives' and victims' committee "that the Tribunal's finding of fact that the fire was probably caused deliberately is based on hypothesis and not established by evidence and is for that reason inherently unsatisfactory". However, we regret that the fifth part of the motion does not clearly apologise for the grief and distress suffered by the relatives and survivors because of the Keane tribunal finding.

The second most critical recommendation of the Coffey report relates to the establishment of a committee to finally monitor the progress of the victims and their relatives and to ensure that counselling and medical treatment where necessary and appropriate are afforded to the survivors and the bereaved at the expense of the State. The horrendous injustice that is the Stardust disaster and its aftermath is crystallised in the fact that it took an astonishing 28 years for the Government to agree to a such a basic measure to address the medical and psychological needs of the Stardust survivors and the bereaved.

Some Stardust survivors and relatives may be disappointed that a new inquiry has not been recommended in the report. The Labour Party shares some of this disappointment, but, as I have said, we are happy that the key finding of the Keane tribunal has been overturned.

I wish to finish, as did Deputy Broughan in the other House, by quoting the words ofLaurence Binyon on its first memorial stone in Beaumont Hospital:

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them.

Senator Dan Boyle

I was 18 on 14 February 1981 and with tens of thousands of my generation in hundreds of locations throughout the country we were in premises not unlike the Stardust — large, cavernous and dark with no indication of where we were to go or what we were to do in the event of something terrible happening. The overriding feeling of many of us subsequently was very much one of "there but for the grace". It very much informed not only attitudes of those of us of that age but also how the law changed. Previous speakers mentioned some of those changes. We also must be conscious that many changes are still necessary.

I commend the ongoing and often frustrating work of people involved in the Stardust victims' committee. In my seven years as an Oireachtas Member, I have received regular contact regarding its ongoing campaign. The depth of that frustration could still be felt up to a number of months ago with a degree of uncertainty as to what was to happen to this latest report. The positive response it has received vindicates the many years of campaigning. With other speakers, I happily accept the recommendations, particularly those relating to the implication that people who were victims may have been considered the creators of their own deaths and injuries. It is important that this aspect has been cleared because it has been a cloud hanging over the events that occurred in the Stardust.

In order to progress these issues and in memory of those who needlessly died and were senselessly injured, we need to consider how to improve our legislative canon. There is no doubt that fire safety has come about. However, one of the horrors of the Stardust fire was the number of victims, despite the fact that it happened in our capital city where emergency services were at their highest levels in terms of access to fire brigades and ambulances. We still live in a country where responsibility for emergency services is very much decentralised and, depending on where in the country one lives, one's access to these services remains a lottery. The question of whether we should have a national fire service and how that should be resourced is fundamental to avoiding incidents like this in future.

We also need to review our civil code. Unlike other jurisdictions we continue not to have a crime of corporate manslaughter. While not indicating anything regarding this series of events, we also seem to avoid the fact that an individual or a corporate entity might be responsible. Our laws do not properly reflect the need to take that responsibility and accept legal liability.

In the 28 years since the events of 14 February 1981, insufficient supports and recognition have been offered. Today's motion "supports the Government in establishing a Committee to monitor the counselling and medical needs of the survivors and bereaved". Making that call is an acknowledgement that those needs have not been met as they should have been to date. Through making these statements and the efforts the Government has made in recent times, I hope that finally an appropriate level of support can be offered.

The most important element in recognising the memories of those who died is to ensure that events like this can never happen again. While there is a fear that the possibility exists that it might, our efforts as public representatives should be that, in terms of both legislation and appropriate resources for emergency services, such events never happen again. Now that my daughter has passed the age I was on 14 February 1981, I hope that the subsequent generation will never experience what the 48 people who senselessly died and those who were horrifically injured had to suffer on that day.

Senator Paul Coghlan

I wish to share time with Senator Fitzgerald.

Acting Chairman (Senator Diarmuid Wilson)

Is that agreed? Agreed.

Senator Paul Coghlan

We very much welcome the motion. I wholeheartedly concur with everything that has been said so far by the Minister of State and other speakers. We are very grateful to members of the Stardust victims' committee. We commend and thank them and their solicitor, Greg O'Neill, for all their work and efforts over a long period. While it is a pity it was delayed for so long, this was a very important independent examination that clears the air. As has been acknowledged, Mr. Paul Coffey SC has done the families and the State a great service with his work.

This was a matter for the Oireachtas, which obviously established the Keane tribunal. Obviously there was a delay in placing this acknowledgement on the record of the Dáil and Seanad. This is an acknowledgment that there was no evidence whatsoever that the fire was started deliberately and that its cause is unknown. As has been said and I will not be repetitive, the tribunal's report found that the original finding was purely hypothetical. I will hand over to Senator Fitzgerald who will expand further on this.

Senator Frances Fitzgerald

I welcome the motion before the House, which has the agreement of Members on all sides of the House. I also welcome the important points that are made in the motion, which states:

That Seanad Éireann:

notes the report of the independent examination by Mr. Paul Coffey SC of the concerns of the Stardust Victims Committee in relation to the investigation of the cause of the fire disaster;

accepts the view of Mr. Coffey that to establish a new tribunal to investigate the cause of the fire in the absence of any identified evidence would not be in the public interest;

supports the Government in establishing a committee to monitor the counselling and medical needs of the survivors and bereaved; and

expresses it continuing and deep sympathy with all of the victims and bereaved of the Stardust fire tragedy.

It is difficult to believe that it has taken 28 years for this motion to arrive on the floor of this House, having already been in the Dáil some months ago. Those intervening months must also have been hard on the families, the members of the committee and their solicitor. I want to welcome, in particular, the families, members of the committee and their solicitor, Mr. Greg O'Neill, here today and acknowledge the tremendous effort, fight and energy they have put into this campaign over such a long period. What better tribute is there to those 48 young people who did not come home than that effort which these people have put in over such a long period.

I want to echo what Senator Regan said. Politics is humbled by this. This is no victory for politics. This is a shame on politics because the resistance that these families met tells us a story about how victims have been dealt with in Ireland. I hope that now we have learned the lesson of listening to people who are directly involved in tragedies such as this. I hope we have learned the lessons of listening and acting because it is extraordinary that 28 years on we are talking about establishing a committee to monitor the counselling and medical needs of the survivors and bereaved. It is very late in the day to be establishing such a committee, but I welcome it and hope it will work effectively, efficiently and in the interests of the families in helping them with their ongoing emotional and physical needs.

A number of speakers talked about closure and in a sense this motion brings political closure to a degree to this terrible tragedy, which was so horrific that it is etched in all our minds. It was one of the worst tragedies ever in Ireland. For the families of those who died in such an horrific way and for those who were injured, I do not know that closure is the right word. It is about living with the consequences of this terrible tragedy, but by their work and efforts and by this motion before us today, I hope it brings some sense of having been understood and that the political system has finally responded to the points they have highlighted and the campaign they have run so effectively over such a long period.

Acting Chairman

Before I call the Minister of State to reply to the motion, I want to acknowledge the presence of Deputy Finian McGrath in the Gallery.

Deputy Seán Haughey

I thank the Senators for their contributions. We have had a very honest, reflective and constructive debate on this motion. I welcome that there is all-party support for it in this House.

A number of Senators spoke and various issues were raised. Senator Quinn said he personally knew five of the victims and he spoke poignantly about that, for which I thank him.

Senator Callely paid tribute to the committee and its efforts to ensure that such a tragedy never happens again. Many other Senators also paid tribute to the committee. Senator Callely also highlighted the fact that we need to learn lessons from this 28-year campaign in regard to similar campaigns arising out of tragedies. We would all agree with that. Certainly, there are lessons to be learned arising out of this particular tragedy.

Senator Regan spoke of the role of John Keegan in regard to the establishment of the committee and the fight for justice. He spoke of the persistence of the families and the lessons to be learned from this particular event in our history. He highlighted the need for the families to have closure in regard to this awful tragedy, with which we would all agree.

The Leader of the House, Senator Cassidy, like others, praised the work of the Mr. Paul Coffey, SC, and I join him in expressing such praise. Mr. Coffey has done great work in regard to this issue, for which we are grateful to him.

Senator Cassidy also stated how everybody remembers where they were the night of the Stardust fire and other Senators mentioned that also. That is true for all of us, that we all remember where we were on the night of such an awful tragedy. It is a night that is etched on the minds of everybody who was around at that time.

Senator Cassidy also spoke of the medical needs of the families. I dealt with that in my contribution. I am anxious that the matter would be brought to finality as soon as possible.

Like many other speakers, Senator Ryan paid tribute to the efforts of the bereaved families in bringing about justice. All of us pay tribute to the families and their tireless campaign to deal with the outstanding issues arising from this awful tragedy.

Senator Boyle highlighted the need for fire safety in general. As I said in my contribution, all the recommendations on fire safety outlined in the tribunal report have been implemented in one form or another. There is no room for complacency. Fire safety is of concern to all of us. I share Senator Boyle's view in that regard.

Senator Coghlan praised the work of Mr. Paul Coffey SC. He said he did a great service to the State on this issue, for which we all thank him.

Senator Fitzgerald, like other Senators, highlighted the effort and the energy of the Stardust Victims Committee. She made a good point about the need to listen to people involved in tragedies. The lessons of even the past few months have to be learned in that regard. The Stardust tragedy brings home to us the need to listen to people in distress and those who have been involved in tragedies. If we listened more, it would help to improve the politics of this country and society in general.

I thank Senators for their contributions. As representatives of the wider community, we are expressing our continuing sympathy and regret for the loss suffered by all those affected by this tragedy. On my behalf and on behalf of the Government, I thank all Senators for joining me in expressing sympathy.

Question put and agreed to.

Sitting suspended at 12.30 p.m. and resumed at 12.40 p.m.

Seanad Éireann debate - Wednesday, 8 Jul 2009

Stardust Tragedy: Motion.

Seanad Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 8 Jul 2009