Intense stand-off within Government over new Stardust inquiry

The Government remained deeply divided last night as to whether a fresh inquiry into the 1981 Stardust fire tragedy should be established, ahead of a Dáil debate tomorrow.

Intense negotiations, which continued late last night, failed to reach agreement ahead of this morning’s Cabinet meeting.

As revealed in the Irish Examiner last week, the Independent Alliance is backing junior minister Finian McGrath’s demands for a new inquiry, but Fine Gael and, in particular, Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald’s department is opposed to it without new evidence.