Stardust lesson not yet learned

MORE than two decades after the tribunal of inquiry into the Stardust nightclub inferno, which claimed 48 lives, little progress has been made on improving the country’s creaking fire-fighting service.

For the umpteenth time, fire officers have voiced complaints at their annual conference, where delegates heard that Ireland lags far behind other European countries in funding this vital service at a time of increased risk.

Despite repeated warnings that another Stardust tragedy could easily happen, successive governments have failed to implement key recommendations of the tribunal.