Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 5 February 2014
22. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will now initiate the establishment of a brief commission of investigation to examine outstanding issues that have not been conclusively resolved regarding the Stardust tragedy of 1981 in view of ongoing aspects of new evidence regarding the tragedy coming to public attention in the past number of years. [5341/14]
View answerAs I have previously indicated, nothing I have seen in the extensive correspondence from the Stardust Victims Committee to date, including the considerable volume of correspondence circulated recently, would be grounds for my taking a different view to the conclusions set out in the Independent Examination by Mr. Paul Coffey. That is, in the absence of any identified evidence, the most another inquiry could achieve would be another set of hypothetical findings, which would not be in the public interest.
It had been indicated in reported statements that the Committee intended to present a submission concerning the cause of the fire on the occasion of forthcoming anniversary. Whether at that time, or at any other point, I will of course arrange for the examination as appropriate of any such submission, and for a response to issue to the Committee in due course. In saying this I should again caution against raising unrealistic expectations about what can be achieved or appearing to suggest that the outcome of the Coffey examination can be set aside, simply on the basis that his conclusions are not accepted by some.
