IN/0604

NIO money was slow in coming

SECRETARY of State Paul Murphy's surprise announcement that the NIO will provide financial support for the Omagh civil action has provided another boost for relatives.
The fact that the British government has acceded to calls for public funds to be made available is a tribute to the families who have shown tremendous courage and tenacity in their pursuit of justice.
And while the decision will be welcomed, questions will be raised about the timing of this move.
This key development was announced just a day after Real IRA leader Michael McKevitt was sentenced to 20 years by the Special Criminal Court in Dublin for directing terrorism.
It is also significant that we are less than a week away from the fifth anniversary of the bomb which killed 29 people including a woman pregnant with twins and injured hundreds of others.
There is no doubt that this key date and the attendant publicity would have put the government under pressure over its failure to fund the civil case being brought by a number of the Omagh families.
These relatives have so far raised more than £1 million through public subscription, which is a magnificent achievement. However, it has been a struggle to raise this amount, and the families faced an £800,000 shortfall, which the British government will now meet.
This is undoubtedly a great relief to the relatives but many people will wonder why the government could not have guaranteed the full amount from the outset and saved the families considerable stress.
Mr Murphy also said he was asking the Law Society to review its decision to grant legal aid to Michael McKevitt and Liam Campbell to defend the civil action.
The fact that government money was being provided to these men while the families were denied similar funding highlighted a key anomaly in the legal system and understandably added to the sense of grievance.
The families who are pursuing the civil suit are justified in using all legal means to find justice.
Ultimately, however, it would be preferable to have those suspected of planning and perpetrating the Omagh bombing held to account in a criminal court.