Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 March 2012
384 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to establish an independent inquiry to ascertain the cause of the Stardust fire, Dublin, which took place on 14 February 1981 and which claimed the lives of 48 people; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12293/12]
View answerI can inform the Deputy that Mr. Paul Coffey SC was appointed to carry out an independent examination of the case made by the Stardust Victims Committee for a renewed inquiry into the Stardust fire. His report was published in January, 2009 and concluded that to establish a new inquiry in the absence of any identified evidence as to the cause of the fire would be of no obvious or any forensic value and not in the public interest. Subsequently, and in keeping with Mr. Coffey's recommendations, motions were passed in both Houses of the Oireachtas placing on the record of both Houses an acknowledgement of the original Tribunal's findings that there is no evidence that the fire was started deliberately and that the cause of the fire is unknown.
