An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
Seanad Éireann — 2026-06-23
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Sharon Keogan (IND), Industrial and Commercial Panel

I congratulate the new Leader. I welcome Laura, Daniel and Jamie, his father and his siblings, to the Gallery. He will do a great job in the future.
I wish to raise the issue of the handling of the aftermath of the Creeslough tragedy, which, I believe, warrants serious examination by this House. Last week, I attended a meeting in the audiovisual room at which I heard directly from victims' families. What they had to say was, quite frankly, appalling and compels me to speak not just about the tragedy itself but also about how those affected have been treated in the years since. As we know, ten people, including three children, lost their lives in that devastating explosion in October 2022. Beyond the immediate loss, what followed has in many respects compounded the trauma experienced by those left behind.
I heard that the counselling services provided in the community were minimal. People indicated that a single counsellor was made available in a local chemist shop to provide therapy and that individuals had to queue on the street for access. The service was effectively only advertised online. Many people were not even aware of it. More worryingly, the supports provided were temporary in nature. We know that the initial drop-in counselling service was withdrawn after one month. In many cases, people were left with no option but to pay out of their own pockets for ongoing therapy. Even now, concerns remain about the longer term availability of counselling, with services under serious strain. This is simply unacceptable.
There are also serious and unanswered questions about the level of oversight and regulation prior to this incident. Families are still waiting for answers as to how such a tragedy could occur. Multiple investigations remain ongoing, with calls for a full public inquiry continuing to this day. The Government should be absolutely ashamed of how those affected by this appalling tragedy have been handled. These families and their communities deserve a long-term, visible and properly resourced response. What they got instead was a Band-Aid. That is not good enough. I demand accountability from this Government.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-06-23/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:55:05+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-06-23