DISRESPECTFUL SNUB FOR OMAGH FAMILIES
Disrespectful' snub for Omagh families
By Claire Simpson and PA
THE four victims' commissioners have said they cannot comment on complaints that families of those killed in the Omagh bomb were not invited to a meeting to reveal the proposed wording for the new memorial.
Victims' relatives, who claim the Sinn Fein dominated council wants to amend the phrase "dissident republican car bomb", said they were not invited to last night's event and had no intention of going.
Spokesman Michael Gallagher, whose son Aidan was killed in the 1998 bombing, claimed the council had acted "disrespectfully" by not inviting them.
A spokeswoman for Omagh council said the meeting was open to all members of the public and it was not council protocol to send out invitations to such events.
However, she said copies of the panel's report were hand-delivered or emailed to the victims' families last night.
Mike Nesbitt, one of the commissioners appointed in January, said they could not comment on arrangements for the meeting.
"As I understand it John Dunlop, Brian Lennon and Olive Hobson were invited by the council to make an independent report," he said.
"Whatever terms of reference they have in place are between them and the council.
"If we had been asked to be involved from the beginning we would make a comment but we didn't exist then."
By Claire Simpson and PA
THE four victims' commissioners have said they cannot comment on complaints that families of those killed in the Omagh bomb were not invited to a meeting to reveal the proposed wording for the new memorial.
Victims' relatives, who claim the Sinn Fein dominated council wants to amend the phrase "dissident republican car bomb", said they were not invited to last night's event and had no intention of going.
Spokesman Michael Gallagher, whose son Aidan was killed in the 1998 bombing, claimed the council had acted "disrespectfully" by not inviting them.
A spokeswoman for Omagh council said the meeting was open to all members of the public and it was not council protocol to send out invitations to such events.
However, she said copies of the panel's report were hand-delivered or emailed to the victims' families last night.
Mike Nesbitt, one of the commissioners appointed in January, said they could not comment on arrangements for the meeting.
"As I understand it John Dunlop, Brian Lennon and Olive Hobson were invited by the council to make an independent report," he said.
"Whatever terms of reference they have in place are between them and the council.
"If we had been asked to be involved from the beginning we would make a comment but we didn't exist then."
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0901
Published Date: 07-Mar-08
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