Dublin: The government has issued a long-awaited apology for its historic failure to deliver justice to the families affected by the Stardust fire disaster. Prime Minister Simon Harris, on behalf of the government, expressed regret for the negligence after 40 years, acknowledging the mistakes made in Parliament.
In 1981, 48 individuals tragically lost their lives in a nightclub fire in Artane, with last week’s investigation revealing these deaths as unlawful killings. The initial tribunal’s findings, which were widely criticised for victim-blaming, prompted calls for reinvestigation. The victims, aged between 16 and 27, primarily hailed from the north Dublin area. A recent jury determined that an electrical fault caused the fatal fire on Valentine’s Day 1981.
Prime Minister Harris admitted the government’s failure to act when needed most and offered a heartfelt apology. He expressed remorse for the prolonged struggle for justice endured by the Stardust families and hoped the apology in Parliament would bring them peace of mind. Harris underscored the government’s commitment to righting the wrongs suffered by both the deceased and survivors, emphasising the solemnity of the occasion by reading out the victims’ names and life details.
Acknowledging the sacrifices of firefighters, ambulance crews, hospital staff, and taxi drivers who worked tirelessly during the tragedy, Harris also apologised for the distress caused by the initial investigation’s findings. Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou Macdonald welcomed the belated recognition of government wrongdoing and expressed solidarity with the victims’ families, holding successive administrations accountable.
Survivor and campaigner Antoinette Keegan, who was 18 at the time of the disaster, described the apology as long-awaited by the nation and the world. Keegan emphasised the importance of integrating the Stardust tragedy into the school curriculum and highlighted the ongoing support for the families from various sources.
The government’s apology joins a timeline of similar acknowledgments for past injustices, including Prime Minister Enda Kenny’s apology for the Magdalene Laundries in 2013, Prime Minister Leo Varadkar’s apology for the cervical check screening programme in 2019, Prime Minister Micheal Martin’s acknowledgment of atrocities at mother and baby institutions in 2022, and the Dáil’s apology for the criminalization of homosexuality in 2018.
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