Families of the 48 people who died in the Stardust fire are set to get €500,000 in compensation for each loved one who died.

Cabinet has today signed off on a €24m compensation package for the families of those who died in the disaster.

Ministers are holding an urgent online Cabinet meeting to agree the package.

Back in April, the Stardust Inquest returned verdicts of unlawful killing for each of the 48 people who died in the fire.

The inquest heard that there were around 800 people in the Stardust Ballroom in Artane when the fire broke out in the early hours of Valentine's Day 1981.

The 48 people who died were aged between 16 and 27.

The inquest heard that they died from smoke inhalation, fire fumes and burns.

The families of the victims had to wait 43 years before finally getting their inquest and the unlawful killing verdict.

The following week, the Taoiseach issued a formal State apology to the families in the Dáil and read out the names of each of the victims into the Dáil record.

Today’s compensation package was agreed following talks between the Government and the families.