Stardust families step up inquiry campaign

Stardust survivors and bereaved relatives again urged the Government to open a new inquiry into the 1981 disaster at a protest…

Stardust survivors and bereaved relatives again urged the Government to open a new inquiry into the 1981 disaster at a protest outside the Taoiseach's offices in Drumcondra on Saturday.

Members of the Stardust Victims Committee also expressed surprise and disappointment at comments made by Mr Ahern last week when he claimed he had attempted to meet the families on several occasions since giving an an initial commitment to talk to them last month.

Spokeswoman Antoinette Keegan said the families had only ever been approached with one meeting date from the Taoiseach's office.

This proposed meeting had been cancelled because it did not suit most families and because a written submission based on new evidence relating to the fire was not yet complete, Ms Keegan said.

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"Our solicitor has been working on this all week, and all going to plan we will be sending it to the Government first thing this week. We want to convince him of the merits of opening up a new inquiry," said Ms Keegan.

She said she would be seeking an immediate meeting with the Taoiseach as soon as the submission was sent to Government.

Last week Mr Ahern indicated that he would meet the families after St Patrick's Day.

"We have been waiting 25 years now, we can wait another week or two," she said.

Ms Keegan said that "if the Stardust had been based in Donnybrook, people would have gotten justice long ago".

She added: "But at the time we were too naïve and maybe stupid to trust the government so much. We aren't going to make the same mistakes again."

Among those who pinned placards of Stardust victims to the railings of Mr Ahern's offices was Bríd McDermott, whose two sons William (22) and George (19) and daughter Marcella (16), died in the Stardust fire.

She said she was disappointed the Government had not done more to answer 25-year-old questions.

She said families deserved a public inquiry.

"I want to know why my three children didn't get out of that building and why no one was ever charged with it," said Ms McDermott.

Speaking at the protests in Drumcondra, Independent TD Finian McGrath said the Taoiseach had sent out "appalling messages" to Stardust families last week.

Mr McGrath said there had only been one attempt by the Taoiseach to meet the families and urged him to stop "fudging and dithering and go out and meet with them immediately".

"We have had inquiries into land dealings and corrupt politicians, so why not have an inquiry into the fact that 48 people died and 214 were injured as a result of this tragedy," said Mr McGrath.

Stardust survivor Paula O'Brien said bereaved families and survivors were determined to continue their daily protests in Coolock in order to gain both a new inquiry and to force the Silver Swan, the renamed Stardust premises, to remain closed.