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The Irish Government rejected a recommendation for change in how the State monitors major disaster victims following the Stardust fire, archived files show.<\/p>\nThe Irish Government rejected a recommendation for change in how the State monitors major disaster victims following the Stardust fire, archived files show.<\/p>\n
A total of 48 young people died in the nightclub blaze in Artane in Dublin on Valentine\u2019s Day in 1981. Some who survived did not see doctors until years later.<\/p>\n
In 1989, a tribunal which assessed hundreds of claims for compensation urged the Government to introduce special provision for the medical care and monitoring of progress made by the victims of such a disaster in future.<\/p>\n
It suggested a small committee be formed of doctors who had the most experience treating Stardust victims.<\/p>\n
An official memo from the Health Department said the idea was \u201cnot favored\u201d.<\/p>\n
It added: \u201cAs far as general practitioners are concerned, if there are some with extensive involvement in the treatment of survivors of the Stardust disaster they would obviously be in a position to advise following any future disaster.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is not considered necessary however to have a committee of such doctors set up on a formal basis for such purpose.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is now nearly nine years since the Stardust disaster and the present age of the practitioners might be relevant.\u201d<\/p>\n
The papers were disclosed as part of the annual release of State documents.<\/p>\n
Fianna F\u00e1il\u2019s Dr Rory O\u2019Hanlon was health minister at the time as part of Charles Haughey\u2019s Government.<\/p>\n
Some 420 people attended the dancing competition at Stardust, with the majority aged between 18 and 25 years.<\/p>\n
Most came from Artane and Coolock in North Dublin.<\/p>\n
Experiences of some of the victims who came forward seeking compensation were recounted in a dossier provided by the Stardust Victims Compensation Tribunal and contained in archived papers from 1989.<\/p>\n
It dealt with nearly 1,000 applications for official redress.<\/p>\n
The tribunal said it was only due to the scheme that many victims of the fire were treated by doctors for the first time.<\/p>\n
The official file noted: \u201cIn many cases the doctors were shocked that people who needed medical advice and treatment had been left without it for so many years.\u201d<\/p>\n
The archived Department of Health note said the disaster was a very specific one since physical injuries were caused by fire and in some other cases there were psychological effects.<\/p>\n
It added: \u201cMajor disaster planning involves many more disciplines than were involved in Stardust and, indeed, consultants in these disciplines have a considerable expertise from major rail accidents and ongoing experience from road traffic accidents.<\/p>\n
\u201cMajor accident planning is updated after every major accident.\u201d<\/p>\n
The newly published papers are contained in National Archives file reference number 2020\/3\/216.<\/em><\/p>\nShare this:<\/h3>