Stardust-type tragedy ‘could happen again unless fire services improve’

A TRAGEDY of the scale of the Stardust disaster could happen again because of under-resourcing of emergency services in Dublin, the Green Party claimed yesterday.

Party leader Trevor Sargent told the Dáil that the Fire Service had a pool of 11 ambulances to cover the entire city, exactly the same number it had at the time of the fire tragedy in 1981.

Mr Sargent said the resources available to cope with such tragedies had not kept pace with an expanding city that has seen huge population growth and increases in the numbers of pubs, concert venues, hotels and stadia.