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Thelma Frazer could only be identified by the jewellery she wore to the Stardust disco.
Stardust fire
'33 years on, Stardust victims are still being ignored'
Alan Shatter says no new inquiry is needed, but family members of victims say that is not good enough.
THE BROTHER OF a woman killed in the Stardust tragedy has accused Alan Shatter of ‘turning his back’ on the victims of the 1981 fire.
Maurice Frazer’s sister Thelma was in the Artane disco on 14 February when a fire claimed 48 lives. Thelma was only identified by the jewellery she was wearing.
Today, the Justice Minister said that the 2009 Coffey Report was sufficient, despite the victims’ families disputing many key findings.
With the 33rd anniversary of the tragedy approaching, Frazer says the time has come for closure for the families.
“I can still remember Garrett Fitzgerald and Ruairí Quinn calling at our house, to express their deepest sympathy to my parents and family members. They both said at the time that they would do whatever in their powers to help our family and the other families involved.
33 years on we are still being ignored by a political system that does not care for its citizens.
Frazer points to a report unveiled earlier this week by the victims’ families that suggested there were errors in the Garda investigation, as well as with the original tribunal.
The Stardust families said earlier this week that they plan to release what they believe is the cause of the fire on February 14, but Shatter said that no evidence he has seen warrants a new investigation. That, says Frazer is not good enough.
“So it looks like another Minister for “Justice” is set to ignore, and turn his back on, the victims once again.”
Read: No new inquiry into Stardust tragedy
