IN/0601

Enormous burden' is lifted from families
By Staff Reporter

RELAT1VES of the Omagh bomb victims last night said the British government's decision to contribute £800,000 towards their legal action against those accused of the atrocity had lifted "an enormous burden".
Secretary of State Paul Murphy announced yesterday that the government would provide the families with the vital funds they still needed to raise to fund their civil action.
The move was welcomed as "fantastic, unbelievable news" by Michael Gallagher, whose 21-year-old son Aidan was among the 29 people including a woman pregnant with twins killed in the 1998 Real IRA bombing.
The money will enable relatives to pursue their claim for S10 million in damages against a group of suspects which includes Real IRA leader Michael McKevitt, who was this week jailed for 20 years in the Republic for directing terrorism.
Mr Murphy said he always believed that the Omagh bombing was "an exceptional case".
In January 2002, father-of-four Colm Murphy became the only person to be convicted of plotting the Omagh bomb.
The Special Criminal Court in Dublin sentenced the Dundalk-based builder and publican to 14 years in jail.
Last summer solicitors acting on behalf of the Omagh Victims' Civil Action Group served writs on five people suspected of involvement in the bombing.
The legal documents were given to Michael McKevitt, Liam Campbell and Colm Murphy in Portlaoise Jail.
A solicitor visited Dundalk last July to serve writs on two other people, Seamus Daly and Seamus McKenna.
Stanley McCombe, whose wife Anne was killed in the bombing, revealed two days ago that the families were £800,000 short of their £1.5 million legal costs.
Michael Gallagher said the announcement "will go a long way towards giving the families justice".
"It takes an enormous burden off our shoulders. We have had an uphill struggle and we have raised over £1 million through public subscription. Hopefully it will make things a lot easier for us."
Victor Barker, whose 12-year-old son James was a victim of the bombing, said the case was of great "public significance".
"It is very welcome that the government has now seen fit to give the same assistance to the relatives as they are giving to defendants in legal aid cases," he said.
Former secretary of state Peter Mandelson said the British government "has done right by Omagh victims' families".
"It would have been morally indefensible to have extended funding to the defendants, including Michael McKevitt, but not given a penny to the legal fund mounted by the families," he said.
"I would still like to see a criminal prosecution against the Omagh bombers but this civil action, which I support, will not prejudice that eventuality."