REVEALED: State relief plan for Stardust families kicks off after Dale apologizes Achi-News

Taoiseach Simon Harris “apologised unreservedly” to the families in a meeting with them at Government Buildings yesterday.

He will also issue a state apology in the Dale on Tuesday, an event that families have been invited to attend. The names of the victims will also be read in the chamber.

Since the fire in February 1981, survivors and victims’ families have fought in the courts for compensation, accountability and justice.

A statutory compensation court was established by the state in the 1980s, with the last judgment being handed down in 1991. In such courts it is customary for plaintiffs to waive any right to other civil proceedings.

Stardust owner Eamonn Butterley awarded £581,000 by state for ‘malicious damage’

Victim compensation at the time totaled £10.4 million paid to 823 people.

Five people received £100,000 or more and 24 received just over £50,000, but most people received between £5,000 and £10,000. Parents who lost a child in the disaster received a maximum of £7,500.

The owners of Stardust, Eamonn and Patrick Butterley, were awarded £581,000 after seeking £3m damages following a tribunal finding in 1981 that the fire was “probably arson”.

After new inquests into the deaths concluded last week that the victims were wrongfully killed, their families called for a state apology, citing four decades of pain and trauma.

Forty-six people died in the fire and two more later, with the last recorded death occurring on March 11, 1981. A total of 214 people were injured.

Some bereaved families received £7,500 for each child they lost

The ages of the dead ranged from 16 to 26, and in 23 cases the deceased were the sole breadwinners of their families. Most of the dead came from Dublin, the Artane, Kilmore and Greater Culloch areas, and half were aged 18 and under. Four were 16 years old and eight were 17 years old.

Although no discussions have yet taken place, a senior government source said yesterday Independent Sunday: “There will be a fix plan. The statement in the Dáil on Tuesday is a first step towards that.”

The source added that the plan for families will probably take into account the trauma that went through for 43 years.

However, the issue of relief will not be addressed in the Dale on Tuesday, where the focus will be entirely on a state apology.

A retired senior garda officer said the unlawful killing of 48 people in the fire warranted a thorough investigation supported or led by the Serious Crime Review Team because of the scale of the deaths and the “huge significance” of the jury’s verdict.

Christy Mangan, a former detective chief who founded the card-case unit and ran it for several years, said a review of the unlawful killings should look at whether there is anyone still alive who is “guilty”.

“This is a very significant verdict, it’s huge,” Mr Mangan said.

“Forty-eight people are being judged to have died wrongfully. As a police organisation, you need to look at this seriously and see if there is anyone alive who is responsible for the deaths of these people.

“Is there someone who caused this by their actions that night? That’s what you’re looking at.”

He said the Serious Crime Review Team was the most appropriate unit to “review all available evidence”, including witness statements, the original case files and evidence given at the coroner’s court.

“You have to review what people said in the coroner’s court that led to this verdict of unlawful killing and see how they came to that verdict,” he said.

“For 40 years they were criminalized, and now the truth has been told”

Mr Mangan said it was imperative that the families were involved in the case review, partly to take into account their concerns, but also in terms of possible evidence.

Gardaí are awaiting a coroner’s report before deciding whether to investigate the fire which has now been ruled a crime, 43 years later.

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris expects a report in the coming days on the jury’s findings.

Sources said experienced senior officers will determine whether there is evidence to support a full criminal investigation.

The inquests heard statements from gardaí who investigated the fire in 1981 and found no evidence that the fire had been started maliciously.

Despite garda evidence, a court of inquiry held within months of the tragedy concluded that the fire was “probably arson”.

This cleared the way for Stardust’s owner, Eamonn Butterley, to receive £581,000 in compensation from the state for “malicious damage”.

In contrast, some bereaved families received just £7,500 for each child they lost.

Last week it emerged that Mr Butterley had taken unsuccessful High Court proceedings, challenging the coroner for allowing the jury to return a verdict of unlawful killing.

His legal team argued that such a verdict could lead to blame being attributed to him, which would be very damaging and damage his good name.

Earlier yesterday, Simon Harris apologized unreservedly to the victims’ families.

After a lengthy meeting with Stardust representatives, Mr Harris confirmed he would also seek an apology in the Dail on behalf of the country.

At the meeting he heard calls from the families for a national day of remembrance for the fallen.

The families are also requesting counseling services that will help them deal with the past years of trauma while seeking justice for their loved ones.

Mr Harris said he wanted to apologize to them in person before the formal apology in the Dale on Tuesday. He also apologized for the fact that the state paid attention to the families and expressed his regret that it took two generations for them to receive truth and justice.

In a statement released after the meeting, Mr Harris said his time with the families and loved ones of the 48 young people who died in the fire had been “humbling and emotional”.

He said more than 70 people had gathered in government buildings, adding: “However, I am well aware that the numbers affected by stardust are many, many times that.

“I listened closely to everything the families told me – and as Taoiseach, I apologized unreservedly to every family today. I will do so on behalf of the country on Tuesday.”

The families, who spent about 90 minutes with Mr Harris yesterday, are to work with government officials on the wording of Tuesday’s apology.

Antoinette Keegan, who survived the fire but her sisters Mary and Martina died, said the meeting went “very well”.

“He invited us all back to hear the public apology, and it’s very positive what he’s doing – he’s addressing every issue,” she said.

Ms Keegan said the Stardust families felt abandoned by the state.

“They were held and tagged for 43 years,” she said. “But this investigation opened a new chapter. Now they got their identity back, got their good name back.”

She said the families’ legal teams would work with Mr Harris on the apology, adding: “If it’s not true, we won’t accept it.”

Maurice McHugh, who lost his only child in the tragedy – 17-year-old Caroline – said he welcomed the forthcoming apology, but added: “It has to be genuine. It can’t just be ‘sorry’. It has to be more than that. There’s 43 years of history – He has a lot of work to do in three days.”

Mr McHugh’s wife, Phyllis McHugh, said politicians had failed families in the past, adding: “They should have been there from day one.”

Three of Brigid McDermott’s children were among the dead: William (22), George (18) and Marcella (16). Speaking yesterday after meeting Mr Harris, Mrs McDermott, 87, said: “I’m proud of myself and everyone – all the mums and dads who have gone through what we’ve done.

“God bless and thank you to everyone, especially the public – thank you all.”

When asked what the apology would mean for her, she said: “It’s just to hear that they’re sorry – but it’s a little late for me.”

Dara McKean, a lawyer for most of the families, said: “We hope that the apology will reflect the hurt, the suffering, the trauma, but most importantly the truth.

“Between now and Tuesday, we have offered to communicate directly with the Taoiseach about the content of the apology. We hope the Taoiseach has listened to the various families – we are sure he has.

“Families want it to reflect that for 40 years they have been criminalized, and now the truth has been told. They want the state to apologize for the systemic abuse they suffered, and we hope it is in the form of an apology on Tuesday.”

He said it was “much too early” to discuss a repair plan.