The recently completed Stardust inquests have incurred a cost of over €20m, with legal fees accounting for more than half of the total expenses. The figures released by the Department of Justice also reveal that €4.5m was spent on rent, and the overall bill is double the budget allocation of €8m for the inquests in 2021.
The €20m covers a three-year lead-in period for preparatory work and a year-long public hearing where 122 days were dedicated to hearing from hundreds of witnesses. The inquests concluded in April, with a jury verdict of unlawful killing for the 48 victims of the Artane nightclub fire on 14 February 1981.
Legal fees amounted to €13.6m with each family represented in court receiving legal aid, while more than €1.5m went towards reports from medical and fire experts. Miscellaneous expenses, including stenography and witness expenses, totaled €612,000.
Despite the hefty costs, a redress scheme for relatives and survivors is still pending finalization, as families continue to await updates from Minister for Justice Helen McEntee.
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