Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I, too, welcome the State apology. It is necessary and very long overdue. As other Members have done, I welcome all the families here today. I hope last week's verdict of unlawful killing gives some degree of comfort and vindication to the families for the terrible loss they have suffered. I hope the inquest has provided some solace about what happened on the night when the families endured - and continue to endure - enormous suffering. This suffering was compounded by the State's treatment of the victims and their families over the past 43 years. The Stardust fire on St. Valentine's Day in 1981 was a national tragedy and left a legacy of pain for families, the community and indeed the people of Dublin.

As the youngest of a large family, I remember it being discussed as I grew up. It was only when the inquest commenced that we really moved beyond the event and learned about the 48 - or, as the Taoiseach acknowledged, the 49 - young people who lost their lives that fatal night. The Taoiseach also highlighted that the pen portraits provided at the inquest represent a very important step. The ability to provide those portraits gave the bereaved families an opportunity to describe and celebrate the lives of their loved ones. While the conclusion of the inquiry and today's State apology will not bring back those who were lost they are important steps on the road for justice for the 48 families, for which they have been fighting for over 40 years.

I welcome the Tánaiste's remarks to the that the State must follow through on the commitments and the remaining steps. This must be done in consultation with the families, who must be at the centre of that process. I hope the verdict and today's State apology will bring some peace for the bereaved families and all those impacted by this terrible loss. We recall and we pray for those who have passed away without witnessing today's momentous occasion and who fought for the victims of this tragedy for so long.

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