The Attorney General will give "full consideration" to a request for a second inquest into the Stardust tragedy.
48 young people died in the fire at the Stardust nightclub in Artane, Dublin in 1981.
Hundreds of people took part in a protest in Dublin earlier today calling for a new inquest into the tragedy.
Demonstrators marched to the Attorney General’s office in Dublin and handed in 48,000 ‘truth cards,’ representing the young people who lost their lives.
In solidarity with the families campaigning for an inquest into the deaths of the 48 people, 37 years ago in the horrific Stardust fire. 48,000 postcards signed by the public,1,000 for each death were handed into the AG’a office by the families demanding an inquest it must happen pic.twitter.com/nvRD4idMSq
— Joan Collins T.D. (@JoanCollinsTD) November 20, 2018
Speaking in the Dáil this afternoon, the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he had been assured by Attorney General Seamus Wolfe that he consider any application.
"It is within the Attorney General's power under the Coroners Act to direct the holding of an inquest, however it is not an untrammelled power," he said.
"It is not a discretionary power; there has to be sufficient grounds for him to order a second inquest.
"In doing so, he has to act independently of Government so I can't - and nor should I - put undue pressure on him to do so.
"But I did speak to the Attorney General this morning about it, aware that the protest was happening today and he has confirmed to me that once he receives a request under Section 28 for a second inquest, that he will give it full consideration and will look at it afresh."
Truth for Stardust families - on way to Attorney General office #Stardust with 48 K post cards for justice and solidarity from Derry’s Bloody Sunday families pic.twitter.com/hxKZYaBAkn
— Brid Smith TD (@bridsmithTD) November 20, 2018
Speaking at the protest this morning, Antoinette Keegan, who lost her two sisters in the fire, said it has been an extremely difficult 38 years.
"It doesn't get any easier," she said.
"When you don't get truth, you don't get closure.
"The truth has to be told and it will be told becasue we have a great tema now.
"We have [solicitor] Darragh Mackin, the barrister from the Hillsborough [Campaign Alan Straw] and we have the forensic pathologist from the Grenfell Towers.
"Everything will be done our way - our terms of reference, no more whitewashes; no cover-ups."
An independent report into the tragedy in 2017 found that 'no further new inquiry is warranted'.
The Government agreed to order a new review of the evidence surrounding the fire last January.
The report by Judge Pat McCartan concluded that a new commission of investigation was not required, however relatives of the victims were highly critical of his handling of the review.
