A profound controversy has emerged in County Donegal as local authorities approved construction plans for a new service station near the site of the 2022 Creeslough explosion that claimed ten lives. Áine Flanagan, who lost both her partner Robert Garwe and five-year-old daughter Shauna Flanagan-Garwe in the tragedy, has denounced the decision as ‘morally and ethically wrong.’ The devastating blast occurred on October 7, 2022, at the village service station, resulting in one of Ireland’s worst civilian disasters. Despite ongoing criminal investigations into the explosion’s cause, Donegal County Council granted planning permission Thursday for the new development just meters from the original disaster site. Flanagan emphasized the insensitivity of proceeding with construction plans while families still await justice and closure. She poignantly recalled how her daughter would have been preparing for her first holy communion this May, stating ‘I should be out shopping for a communion dress and I’m not.’ Legal representative Damien Tansey, acting for several bereaved families, characterized the approval as ‘insensitive and untimely’ and confirmed plans to appeal the decision. This marks the second time planning permission has been granted for the site, with previous approval being overturned following family appeals. The Gardaí forwarded a primary investigation file to the Director of Public Prosecutions last September, though no official explanation for the explosion has been provided to date. The ten victims included four men, three women, two teenagers, and a young child, all from the local community.