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Government remains on fence on Stardust repayments printable version
03 Mar 2014 filed by editor - General Families of those who died in the 1982 Dublin Stardust blaze say they have been forced to beg for the payment of fees to cover professional input into the Coffey report which they say was promised by the government.
In a statement released today the families' representative Antoinette Keegan said: “We cannot beg any more for our Taoiseach to do the right thing as he has consistently dismissed us.
"The stardust victims committee has been left in the position to beg on their knees for the government through their solicitor (letter attached) to discharge fees refused payment from the department of Justice that were agreed to be discharged with by the government if the families accepted the Coffey review.
"The Taoiseach Enda Kenny has passed the book to Minister Shatter since they have got into office three years ago, to resolve the issue of payment for the Victims Committee experts who were to be paid by the government as agreed for their professional input into the Coffey review.
"The families have no faith in the government or Enda Kenny Taoiseach, but at a meeting with the Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore, Mr Robin Knox attended on behalf of the experts to ask Mr Gilmore if he could resolve this issue of Vouched expenses. He replied they should be paid but he could not get involved with the finances and the solicitor shall have to request them from the Taoiseach Office as they had agreed to pay for the expenses.
"Currently the Taoiseach's Secretary General Mr Nick Reddy, who travels with the Taoiseach, has advised the Committee spokesperson for the last year and a half that he will bring this matter to the Taoiseach's attention. But the Taoiseach insists it is a Justice issue and not his responsibility.
"The families have no faith in the Taoiseach as he is the only leader standing in their way for a commission of investigation to correct the public record. The families have this week submitted through their solicitor a memorandum to government detailing all the issues that brought about a police investigation into perjury and perverting the course of justice. All this evidence was relied upon by the Coffey review and the Keane tribunal report. The Taoiseach was given the roof fire evidence which is not on public record but should be place on public record through a commission of investigation. The families further asked where is their inquiry because in the Coffey review Mr Coffey concluded the families presented a prima facie case through the new evidence Coffey concluded the families have presented.
"Unfortunately the families are reminded by these experts they are paying back loans on the fund required to discharge these fees €192,000. They are angry the payment was not made that was agreed with the government to pay on behalf of the Stardust victims committee. This work included instructions from the 18/1/2007 up to the 12/2/2009. The volume of materials to consider was in excess of five feet of documents.
"The Committee has decided to ask members of the public, Lotto winners, share holders and any person out there if they could donate anything to their fund raising account to get the €192,000 to pay these professionals. We will through the media get these experts to confirm they have been paid, when we discharge their professional fees. Please help. We cannot beg any more for our Taoiseach to do the right thing as he has consistently dismissed us."
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