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Over 500 apply to scheme to compensate Stardust survivors

Aerial view of Stardust
48 people were killed after a fire ripped through the Artane nightclub in 1981

More than 500 people have applied for the Stardust payment scheme set up for survivors of the fire, according to the latest figures from the Department of Justice.

The scheme was established last February and will see successful applicants receive a €20,000 payment for "delays in providing truth and justice".

The department said 540 people have so far applied, with 169 of them validated and authorised for payment.

It said further applications are proceeding towards final validation and this number is expected to increase in the coming weeks.

Applications for the scheme may be submitted up until 5pm today.

No applications can be accepted after the closing date.

The scheme is available to all survivors who received payments from the original 1985 Stardust Victims Compensation Tribunal.

Lawyers for survivor Jimmy Fitzpatrick were granted leave to seek a judicial review of the scheme

The department said a total of 823 people received compensation from that tribunal, meaning the potential maximum cost of this financial package is €16.4 million.

However, some survivors have been critical of the package, saying it was done without consultation.

They also said the flat rate of payment, rather than a sliding scale, amounted to a broken promise.

Last month, lawyers for survivor Jimmy Fitzpatrick, who sustained serious burn injuries in the fire, were granted leave to seek a judicial review of the scheme.

The matter is due back in the courts in November.

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In the early hours of St Valentines Day in 1981, 48 people were killed after a fire ripped through the Artane nightclub.

In August 2024, compensation worth €24m was agreed for the families of those who died.

It followed verdicts, four months earlier, at fresh inquests that all 48 victims were unlawfully killed.

All of this came after decades of campaigning by relatives.

Announcing the recognition payment scheme earlier this year, Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan said the payments were not intended to be compensation for injuries, rather for the delays in providing justice.