Whiddy Island: Concerns about marine safety passed directly to Taoiseach

The organiser of the recent 40th anniversary commemoration of the Whiddy island disaster is expecting a response from the Taoiseach after concerns about marine safety were passed directly to Leo Varadkar.

Michael Kingston, who lost his father in the 1979 disaster and who is also a special advisor to the Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment working group, told attendees that the families of those who died were considering a High Court challenge to achieve “full disclosure” from the government as to what happened on the day of the disaster, as well as urging the government to ratify other laws that would improve safety at sea.