Tánaiste Micheál Martin has expressed his support for reforming the systems of the Tribunal and Commission of Investigation in Ireland, following the ways they have let down the survivors of the Stardust fire disaster. Martin emphasised the need for the victims of such devastating incidents to be given higher priority status in any future investigations.
Martin recognises that previous inquiries have often failed to bring comfort to the affected parties. He acknowledged the necessity of the State’s structure for responding to similar situations being critically evaluated, in addition to issuing a formal official apology to the families of the 48 individuals who tragically lost their lives in the fire back in February 1981.
Martin was critical of the 1982 Stardust Tribunal of Inquiry calling it unsatisfactory and complained of the enormous stress it caused for the bereaved families. He identified the adversarial nature of such inquiries as an issue, as they often hindered the understanding of the full emotional suffering endured by survivors’ families.
In a speech in Arbour Hill, as part of the Fianna Fáil’s annual remembrance ceremony for the 1916 Easter Rising, Martin made comments about Ireland’s approach to official inquiries. He highlighted how the structure often led to confrontational legal practices.
When discussing the designing of investigations in response to institutional abuse, Martin said the previous government’s intentions had been to establish a platform where victims could honestly express what they had undergone. However, the establishment of a more rigid legal structure hampered this agenda.
There are plans for the Cabinet to examine the procedure and structure for a formal State apology to the survivors, victims, and their families of the Stardust tragedy at their meeting on Tuesday morning. Taoiseach Simon Harris, who met with the families over the weekend, plans to deliver the apology on Tuesday afternoon in the Dáil.
On Sunday, Martin did not dismiss the possibility of other actions, including financial compensation for the families, insisting that it’s crucial to serve the families’ best interests.