The government’s cabinet is set to convene on Friday afternoon to formally approve a compensation package of €24 million allocated for the families impacted by the Stardust tragedy. The calamitous fire at the Stardust nightclub situated in northern Dublin witnessed the loss of 48 lives on the early morning of February 14th, 1981.
The session will be an incorporeal meeting held to sanction the revised redress arrangement. After negotiations concluded between the government and the family representatives, Taoiseach Simon Harris and Justice Minister Helen McEntee have advanced a memo on the matter. These negotiations were initiated post the Stardust inquest verdict denoting unlawful killing in April of the previous year.
The cabinet will also acknowledge the state apology delivered by the Taoiseach on April 23rd, succeeded by personalised apology letters delivered to the families directly from him and a commemoration ceremony held at the Garden of Remembrance on the 23rd of June.
Specifics of the compensation scheme targeting the survivors of the 1981 Stardust disaster and the bereaved families were revealed in June. Sara Moorehead, SC – a barrister proficient in mediation, professional negligence, and insurance law, has been appointed to act on behalf of the state with the legal representatives of 45 families.
The execution was to be a two-phased approach. The first phase entailed providing each of the fire’s 48 victims with a single, unscaled ex gratia payment, while the second phase outlined an “exceptionality phase for survivors of the fire under special circumstances”.
Ms Moorehead set out to negotiate with the legal representatives of the families with the aim of reaching an agreement on the first phase by the end of July. Once agreement is reached, a memorandum is planned to be proposed to the government for recognition and approval of the settlement before beginning negotiations on phase two.