Tánaiste says a redress scheme for Stardust families should be considered

But one of the survivors of the 1981 inferno has said their fight was always for justice, not compensation, and their focus now is on the state’s apology to be delivered by Prime Minister Simon Harris on Tuesday.

Asked whether he would support a new compensation plan, Deputy Martin said the government would look at “the whole situation” and see how the state can respond in consultation with the victims’ families.

“The families of the victims of the Stardust fire so many years ago have experienced tremendous trauma. Words alone can never comfort, and nothing will ever comfort the loss of that evening and the subsequent trauma that families have experienced over the decades,” he said.

“I think we have to do what is right for the families in particular, and I will certainly be proactive in that regard, and be positive about that, but making sure that we do what is right,” he added .

Deputy Martin also said the nature of how investigations are conducted needs to be examined. He said the original tribunal of inquiry was “in no way satisfactory” in terms of its references to arson, which he said caused enormous fear for the families, even though it was destroyed in 2009.

“I think that the institutions that we have set up, the investigations that we have set up, leave a lot to be desired in terms of the hostile nature of them, and the extent to which they sometimes do not allow for the full trauma that the families of the victims experience . to come to the fore. And I think this is something that we need to think seriously about as a government going into the future,” he said.

His comments came after Archbishop Dermot Farrell praised the dedication of the Stardust families in their perseverance in seeking justice.

“Those who died unlawfully in the Stardust fire were a source of joy to their families and friends,” he said Saturday during a Mass for the victims at the Church of St. Joseph the Artisan in Bonnybrook.

“The hearts were ripped out of those families and their entire communities during this unspeakable disaster. The courage and perseverance in their search for truth and justice was dignified and inspiring.

‘Their solidarity with each other supported a hope for the truth that they had otherwise been denied for so long.

“Who could not be moved by the suffering, the weight of the pain and the memories, which have persisted for more than 43 years now, of the families who lost 48 loved ones in the Stardust disaster, and of the more than 200 who were injured hit?

“So many families have endured immense suffering and, through the new coroner’s inquest, have relived the horror of that night, which has been seared into the hearts and memories of a generation.

“An entire community was traumatized by the horrors of that terrible night. The lives of so many have been devastated by the loss of those young people who were so full of hope and promise.

“That great loss has been compounded by their long search for a full and truthful account of the tragedy that satisfies their need for truth.”

Stardust survivor Antoinette Keegan, who lost two sisters in the fire, welcomed the archbishop’s comments.

But speaking about a possible redress settlement, she said everything has to be done step by step.

“This has always been about truth and justice, and we got that last week. “We are now focusing on the state’s apology, and we will not do anything else until everything is agreed with our lawyers,” she said.

The families of the fire victims met Mr Harris on Saturday after a meeting with Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald.