'We are sorry': Simon Harris makes State apology to families of Stardust tragedy

Taoiseach Simon Harris has apologised to the victims, families and survivors of the Stardust tragedy, telling the Dáil that families had been through a “living nightmare”.

Some 48 people lost their lives in the February 1981 fire at a disco in north Dublin. At an inquest last week, a jury returned a verdict that they were unlawfully killed. It came after four decades of campaigning by families and survivors.

Mr Harris welcomed the families of those who died and said that there had been “many, many days” when they did not think it would happen. He said that he is “deeply sorry” that families had to wait 43 years for justice.

Taoiseach Simon Harris apologised to the families of the victims of the Stardust tragedy in the Dáil on Monday. Picture: Oireachtas TV

Taoiseach Simon Harris apologised to the families of the victims of the Stardust tragedy in the Dáil on Monday. Picture: Oireachtas TV

“Today we say formally and without equivocation – we are sorry. We failed you when you needed us most from the very beginning. We have stood with you, but instead we forced you to stand against us.”

Mr Harris said that he hoped that the State “which rubbed salt in the wounds” of families would now “start to help you heal”.

He said that he hoped that last week’s verdicts would be a “turning point” for both the families and the state.

He said that the victims were “more than numbers” and were “bright, young people”.

Mr Harris continued to read the names and ages of each of the 48 victims out, along with pen portraits supplied by families.

He said that families had suffered “stigma heaped upon sorrow” as their loved ones were accused of having set the fire deliberately.

Mr Harris said that it was “to our great shame” that the state’s processes had heaped “misery upon tragedy” for the family.

He said that he was “so deeply sorry” that the first bid for justice in 1981 had ended with “suspicion being cast on those who died”.

He said that as Taoiseach, he apologised with no reservations.

“I apologise to the families that those present on that night were wrongly criminalised through the allegation of arson, which was an attack on their reputations.

“I say clearly that every person there was innocent. I say today that the truth is now known. And I say not only were they innocent, they were unlawfully killed.”

Mr Harris paid tribute to the families and quoted Christine Keegan, mother of two of those who died, who asked what the families had ever done to receive the treatment they had.

“Today, I answer that question – you did nothing wrong. The institutions of the state failed you. The institutions of the state let you down. These brave families should never had to walk alone.”

‘Sobering’

Minister for the Environment Eamon Ryan.

Minister for the Environment Eamon Ryan.

Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said that while it is an important day for the Stardust families, a sense of relief would be tempered by due to the amount of time they waited to hear the apology.

“The organs of the Irish State did not respond when repeatedly confronted by contradictory evidence,” Mr Ryan said.

“It is a sobering indictment of our integrity as a nation and one we must reflect upon, uncomfortable though it may be for many of us in the most powerful positions.”

Mr Ryan described the conclusion of the Keane Tribunal, which said the fire was caused deliberately, as “clearly flawed”.

He added that families had “every right” to be angry at the State as it had denied them the truth for so long.

Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien said that the State did not live up to “the principes of justice, its core values nor the decency we owe each and every person” in responding to the Stardust tragedy.

He said that the State response was “utterly lacking” in both compassion and understanding, while compounding trauma with “grievous mistakes”.

“The baseless finding of probable arson that cast scurrilous aspersions of guilt on an entire community. The paucity and complexity of state compensation. The sheer amount of time it has taken us to get to today’s apology,” Mr O’Brien said.

“A process wrung out through gimlet eyes of a system blind to suffering. We owed you all so much more.”

Mr O’Brien said that the families and friends were a “living tribute” to those who died in the Stardust tragedy.

He said that more must be done for the families, including the creation of a memorial and that the recommendations from the inquest on building standards and inspections must be implemented.

Photo shows Antoinette Keegan with members of the Stardust families meeting Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald after the verdict of unlawful killing was announced last week. Picture: Sasko Lazarov/© RollingNews.ie

Photo shows Antoinette Keegan with members of the Stardust families meeting Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald after the verdict of unlawful killing was announced last week. Picture: Sasko Lazarov/© RollingNews.ie

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald described the impact of “the big lie” – that the fire was started by arson – on the families throughout the years.

“The nation’s newspaper headlines screamed “Arson”. It was a lie repeated over and over again,” Ms McDonald said “This smeared and criminalised the victims and survivors, suggesting that one of their number was responsible. It was a lie that devastated families and further traumatised survivors.” Ms McDonald said that this lie then became the “State’s official position” following the Keane Tribunal, which remained on the public record for decades after.

“At each and every turn the State abused its power to bully, intimidate, pressure and coerce heartbroken mothers, grieving fathers and devastated families,” Ms McDonald said.

“Instead of standing shoulder to shoulder with the Stardust families, the State lined up against them again and again.”

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