Sharon Keogan Demands Accountability Over Creeslough Aftermath
Sharon Keogan addressed the House about the handling of the Creeslough explosion aftermath after meeting victims' families who described inadequate and temporary supports. She criticised the shortfall in counselling, the withdrawal of drop-in services, and renewed calls for a full public inquiry and government accountability.
Sharon Keogan recounts testimony heard in an AV room meeting with victims' families, calling what she heard "quite frankly appalling." She highlights the human cost of the October 2022 explosion in which ten people, including three children, died, and the compounded trauma caused by poor follow-up supports.
Keogan details how counselling services in the community were minimal: a single counsellor placed in a local chemist, services advertised primarily online, and drop-in support withdrawn after one month. Many families were left to pay privately for ongoing therapy, and long-term availability remains under strain.
The speech raises unanswered questions about oversight and regulation prior to the incident and notes multiple ongoing investigations. Keogan repeats families' calls for a full public inquiry to establish how the tragedy occurred and to prevent repeat failures.
Keogan concludes by condemning the government's handling as inadequate, describing the response as a band-aid. She calls for a visible, properly resourced long-term response and accountability from government to meet the needs of bereaved families and the affected community.
Victims' testimony and immediate failures
Sharon Keogan recounts testimony heard in an AV room meeting with victims' families, calling what she heard "quite frankly appalling." She highlights the human cost of the October 2022 explosion in which ten people, including three children, died, and the compounded trauma caused by poor follow-up supports.
Counselling provision and local impact
Keogan details how counselling services in the community were minimal: a single counsellor placed in a local chemist, services advertised primarily online, and drop-in support withdrawn after one month. Many families were left to pay privately for ongoing therapy, and long-term availability remains under strain.
Oversight, investigations and calls for inquiry
The speech raises unanswered questions about oversight and regulation prior to the incident and notes multiple ongoing investigations. Keogan repeats families' calls for a full public inquiry to establish how the tragedy occurred and to prevent repeat failures.
Demand for accountability and long-term response
Keogan concludes by condemning the government's handling as inadequate, describing the response as a band-aid. She calls for a visible, properly resourced long-term response and accountability from government to meet the needs of bereaved families and the affected community.
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Transcript
Thank you. I want to congratulate the new leader we have today and welcome Laura and Daniel and Jamie and his father and his siblings in this afternoon and I know you'll do a great job in the future. So I wish to raise the issue of the handling of the aftermath of Creech Law tragedy which I believe were in serious examination by this House. Last week I attended a meeting in the AV room where I heard directly from victims' families. What they have to say was quite frankly appalling. It compels me to speak not just about the tragedy itself but about how those affected have been treated in the months and years since. As we know, 10 people including three children lost their lives in that devastating explosion in October 2022. But beyond the immediate loss, what has followed has in many respects compounded the trauma of those left behind. I heard that counselling services in the community were minimal. People described how for therapy only, a single counsellor was made available in a local chemist where individuals had to queue on the street for access. The service was effectively only advertised online and maybe people were not even aware of it. More worrying again, these supports were temporary. We know that the initial drop-in counselling service was withdrawn after one month and in many cases afterwards people were left with no option but to pay out of their own pocket 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 oversight and regulation prior to this incident. Families are still waiting for answers as to how such a tragedy could occur and 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 received and said was a band-aid. That is not good enough and it demands accountability from this government. Thank you.