Support for Stardust families to be in place ‘very shortly’ – Taoiseach

The State is planning to put counselling support in place for the Stardust families, Taoiseach Simon Harris has said.

A day after delivering a State apology to the families, he thanked them for engaging with him and said he does not take it “for granted” after they had been “betrayed by the State so often over 43 years”.

He said on Tuesday night he had another conversation with Stardust campaigner Antoinette Keegan, who had said she would like to see criminal proceedings brought over the 1981 Dublin nightclub fire.

“Somebody should be held responsible for 48 deaths,” she said outside Leinster House.

Forty-eight people were killed when a fire ripped through the Stardust nightclub in north Dublin in February 1981.

The victims were aged between 16 and 27 and they mostly came from the surrounding working class areas of Dublin.

After more than 40 years of the victims’ families campaigning for justice, last week an inquest found that the 48 young people had been unlawfully killed.

The jury also concluded that the fire started due to an electrical fault in the hot press of the bar, and that carpet tiles on the nightclub’s walls and obstructed emergency exits were contributory factors in the spread of the fire.

Speaking on Wednesday, Mr Harris said there are four actions he plans to take in the wake of the landmark outcome of the Stardust inquest – the longest running in the history of the state.

“My department has had further engagement with their legal representatives about what’s next,” he said.

“You’ll understand I’m not going to comment on the criminal aspect because there is a process, gardai will have to consider the inquest report and the gardai will, independent of the political process, decide what action to take or not take.”

An Garda Siochana said it is aware of the jury’s verdict and is awaiting the coroner’s report.

It said: “The thoughts of all in An Garda Siochana are with the families of the victims, as well as the survivors of the Stardust tragedy.”

Mr Harris said he plans to issue a personal letter of apology to each of the families, which he will work on as quickly as possible.

He said the issue of counselling was raised during meetings with families and they would “reach out to people very shortly” in relation to a range of supports that will be put in place.

A national commemoration will also be looked at, he said, and although he has ideas for it he insisted the families should lead on what is suitable.

“How do we commemorate and atone publicly for Stardust?” he said.

The fourth action is the consideration of the Attorney General and relevant ministers of the inquest’s recommendations.