CROSS-BORDER INQUIRY INTO OMAGH RULED OUT
Cross-border inquiry into Omagh ruled out
THE Irish government has ruled out a cross-border inquiry into the Omagh bombing while court proceedings into the atrocity are ongoing.
South Armagh electrician Sean Hoey is currently facing charges in relation to the 1998 Real IRA massacre in which 29 people and unborn twins died.
The Omagh Victims Group has demanded a probe by the British and Irish governments into the police handling of the bombing.
The Republic's foreign affairs minister Dermot Ahern spoke to the families at a 90-minute meeting in Dundalk yesterday.
A spokesman for Mr Ahern said: "The minister fully recognised the concerns of the families, but he has consulted the Irish Justice Department on the issue and its advice was that any inquiry is inappropriate while criminal proceedings are pending."
However, Mr Ahern offered funding from his department to help the Omagh families run the victims group.
During the meeting, Mr Ahern also paid tribute to the families on their seven-year campaign for justice.
Michael Gallagher, whose son Aidan was among those killed in the Omagh blast, insisted the Irish authorities should back their campaign in the same way they lobbied for a new tribunal into the 1972 Bloody Sunday shootings in Derry.
Mr Ahern said yesterday that justice must be seen to be done in relation to the Omagh bombing, as well as the Dublin-Monaghan bombings and the murder of Dundalk forestry worker Seamus Ludlow in the 1970s.
"It is vital that the truth must come out in all these cases," he said.
"I'm determined to ensure that the full facts of what happened will emerge."
Mr Gallagher said he was disappointed that plans could not be made now for an inquiry to begin when criminal proceedings are completed.
"We're disappointed, but at least Mr Ahern hasn't ruled it out in the long term," he said.
Mr Ahern also said he would appoint an official within his department to act as a liaison officer with the Omagh group.
"This will be very helpful as it will give us a designated contact within the Irish government to raise issues from time to time," Mr Gallagher said.
The Omagh group will immediately submit an application for funding from the department.
He added that Mr Ahern is also to liaise with Romanian authorities to assist Kevin Skelton, whose wife was killed in the Omagh atrocity.
Earlier this month, Mr Skelton wed Maria Nedelcu, the Romanian mother of a child he had previously tried to adopt, and they are currently experiencing bureaucratic difficulties over the marriage.
THE Irish government has ruled out a cross-border inquiry into the Omagh bombing while court proceedings into the atrocity are ongoing.
South Armagh electrician Sean Hoey is currently facing charges in relation to the 1998 Real IRA massacre in which 29 people and unborn twins died.
The Omagh Victims Group has demanded a probe by the British and Irish governments into the police handling of the bombing.
The Republic's foreign affairs minister Dermot Ahern spoke to the families at a 90-minute meeting in Dundalk yesterday.
A spokesman for Mr Ahern said: "The minister fully recognised the concerns of the families, but he has consulted the Irish Justice Department on the issue and its advice was that any inquiry is inappropriate while criminal proceedings are pending."
However, Mr Ahern offered funding from his department to help the Omagh families run the victims group.
During the meeting, Mr Ahern also paid tribute to the families on their seven-year campaign for justice.
Michael Gallagher, whose son Aidan was among those killed in the Omagh blast, insisted the Irish authorities should back their campaign in the same way they lobbied for a new tribunal into the 1972 Bloody Sunday shootings in Derry.
Mr Ahern said yesterday that justice must be seen to be done in relation to the Omagh bombing, as well as the Dublin-Monaghan bombings and the murder of Dundalk forestry worker Seamus Ludlow in the 1970s.
"It is vital that the truth must come out in all these cases," he said.
"I'm determined to ensure that the full facts of what happened will emerge."
Mr Gallagher said he was disappointed that plans could not be made now for an inquiry to begin when criminal proceedings are completed.
"We're disappointed, but at least Mr Ahern hasn't ruled it out in the long term," he said.
Mr Ahern also said he would appoint an official within his department to act as a liaison officer with the Omagh group.
"This will be very helpful as it will give us a designated contact within the Irish government to raise issues from time to time," Mr Gallagher said.
The Omagh group will immediately submit an application for funding from the department.
He added that Mr Ahern is also to liaise with Romanian authorities to assist Kevin Skelton, whose wife was killed in the Omagh atrocity.
Earlier this month, Mr Skelton wed Maria Nedelcu, the Romanian mother of a child he had previously tried to adopt, and they are currently experiencing bureaucratic difficulties over the marriage.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0761
Published Date: 25-Oct-05
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