Stardust families threaten anniversary protests unless inquiry details revealed

STARDUST families have issued an ultimatum to the Taoiseach warning they will begin protesting unless details of a promised independent examination are handed over.

The threatened protests at Government buildings and Bertie Ahern’s constituency office follow what the Stardust Victims’ Committee claim is a “complete breakdown in communications” since early December.

Prior to Christmas, Mr Ahern announced that an independent examination of the 1981 Stardust fire would be established and an eminent legal person appointed to oversee the process.

However, a spokeswoman for the committee, Antoinette Keegan, yesterday claimed that families had been “left in limbo” since the announcement and had yesterday informed the Taoiseach’s office of their planned protests.

Bereaved families are to gather at Government buildings next Wednesday unless answers to a series of letters and questions submitted by families and their solicitor are addressed according to Ms Keegan.

“I have submitted numerous letters since the end of November and all I have received is one letter informing me that the Taoiseach will respond soon,” she said.

“In two weeks, it will be the 26th anniversary of the tragedy. In two weeks, it will be two months since the Taoiseach made his promises to us.”

Geraldine Foy, research assistant to the families’ solicitor, accused the Taoiseach’s office and the Department of Justice of failing to respond to constant queries from anxious families.

“The Taoiseach is making fools of the families now and treating them poorly. The way in which they were treated in 1981 is happening all over again,” she said.

Yesterday, Labour’s Tommy Broughan raised the matter in the Dáil and called for the immediate appointment of an eminent legal person to oversee an examination of the fire tragedy.

He described as “disgraceful” the Government’s recent treatment of families.

However, junior minister Frank Fahey told the Dáil that there was no need for protests as much progress had been made to date. He said arrangements for an examination were currently the subject of ongoing discussions between the Department of Justice and the families’ solicitor.

The proposed examination is designed to inform the Government on whether a public inquiry into the fire tragedy is required. A submission compiled by the committee and submitted to the Government last year aimed to disprove the original tribunal finding of “probable arson”.

Fire experts Prof Michael Delichatsios, Tony Gillick, Robin Knox and pathologist Dr Derek Carson contributed to the submission.