OMAGH FAMILIES QUEST FOR PUBLIC INQUIRY GATHERS MOMENTUM
Omagh families' quest for public inquiry gathers momentum
by Robert Pollock
BEREAVED families of the 1998 Omagh bomb are set to brief the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee in Westminster and meet with Irish Justice and Equality Minister, Alan Shatter, in the Oireachtas, in the coming weeks.
The families' fight for a cross-border public inquiry into the atrocity continues to gather momentum and they were given a significant boost by the recent comments of Northern Ireland Ireland Secretary of State, Owen Paterson.
Speaking to BBC Radio Ulster's Inside Politics programme on Sunday, Mr Paterson said that those behind the bombing needed to be tried, convicted and jailed, but that his decision regarding the inquiry had yet to be made.
Michael Gallagher, whose son Aiden (21), was killed in the attack, described the comments made by Mr Paterson as 'very positive' and, coupled with the upcoming meetings, stated that they were "moving in the right direction".
"I was very encouraged with what I heard from Mr Paterson and the way in which he raised the matter. Although a decision has yet to be made, I think that we are starting to make real progress. He will obviously consult others on the report, but ultimately the decision falls with him. All we can do is continue to inform people on the report and work to enhance its profile," said Mr Gallagher.
It is understood that the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee will meet in Westminster today (Wednesday) and arrange a date to be briefed by members of Omagh Support and Self Help Group on their report.
The group received notification of the the London invite when visited by Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Vernon Croaker, last Wednesday - a visit that coincided with a letter
received from Taioseach, Enda Kenny, inviting the families to meet with Mr Shatter. At both meetings representatives of Omagh Support and Self Help Group will discuss the contents of their privately commissioned report into the atrocity.
"Mr Croaker's meeting went very well and you could see that he was genuinely moved by the families' fight for an inquiry. He promised us that he would attempt to arrange a meeting for us at the House of Commons and we will know the outcome of that very soon.
"It was very encouraging to have someone like Mr Croaker to display an interest in our case and the hope is that we will meet with the cross-party Northern Ireland Affairs Committee. That will
take place with the authors of the report and representatives of the group. Obviously we are awaiting a formal response from the government, but we must continue to maintain a high profile, as we have been successful in doing for 14 years," said Mr Gallagher.
The families' unremitting calls for a meeting with the Irish authorities have finally paid off as the group received a formal invite from Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, to meet with his justice and equality minister, Mr Shatter.
"The letter arrived just before our meeting with Mr Croaker and as it stands now we face a very busy period, addressing both the committee in London and Mr Shatter in Dublin. This is the meeting we desperately sought and one we felt was in the Irish government's interests to do so. We will lay out to the minister how the report was compiled and answer any questions he wishes to ask. It's another step in the right direction for all of us and can only work to better our chances of an inquiry," he added.
The families will also meet with PSNI Chief Constable, Matt Baggott, and Northern Ireland Justice Minister, David Ford.
The families have repeatedly claimed that the contents of the specially-commissioned report will serve to embarrass both the Irish and British authorities, and highlight alleged security force failings on the day of the atrocity.
by Robert Pollock
BEREAVED families of the 1998 Omagh bomb are set to brief the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee in Westminster and meet with Irish Justice and Equality Minister, Alan Shatter, in the Oireachtas, in the coming weeks.
The families' fight for a cross-border public inquiry into the atrocity continues to gather momentum and they were given a significant boost by the recent comments of Northern Ireland Ireland Secretary of State, Owen Paterson.
Speaking to BBC Radio Ulster's Inside Politics programme on Sunday, Mr Paterson said that those behind the bombing needed to be tried, convicted and jailed, but that his decision regarding the inquiry had yet to be made.
Michael Gallagher, whose son Aiden (21), was killed in the attack, described the comments made by Mr Paterson as 'very positive' and, coupled with the upcoming meetings, stated that they were "moving in the right direction".
"I was very encouraged with what I heard from Mr Paterson and the way in which he raised the matter. Although a decision has yet to be made, I think that we are starting to make real progress. He will obviously consult others on the report, but ultimately the decision falls with him. All we can do is continue to inform people on the report and work to enhance its profile," said Mr Gallagher.
It is understood that the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee will meet in Westminster today (Wednesday) and arrange a date to be briefed by members of Omagh Support and Self Help Group on their report.
The group received notification of the the London invite when visited by Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Vernon Croaker, last Wednesday - a visit that coincided with a letter
received from Taioseach, Enda Kenny, inviting the families to meet with Mr Shatter. At both meetings representatives of Omagh Support and Self Help Group will discuss the contents of their privately commissioned report into the atrocity.
"Mr Croaker's meeting went very well and you could see that he was genuinely moved by the families' fight for an inquiry. He promised us that he would attempt to arrange a meeting for us at the House of Commons and we will know the outcome of that very soon.
"It was very encouraging to have someone like Mr Croaker to display an interest in our case and the hope is that we will meet with the cross-party Northern Ireland Affairs Committee. That will
take place with the authors of the report and representatives of the group. Obviously we are awaiting a formal response from the government, but we must continue to maintain a high profile, as we have been successful in doing for 14 years," said Mr Gallagher.
The families' unremitting calls for a meeting with the Irish authorities have finally paid off as the group received a formal invite from Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, to meet with his justice and equality minister, Mr Shatter.
"The letter arrived just before our meeting with Mr Croaker and as it stands now we face a very busy period, addressing both the committee in London and Mr Shatter in Dublin. This is the meeting we desperately sought and one we felt was in the Irish government's interests to do so. We will lay out to the minister how the report was compiled and answer any questions he wishes to ask. It's another step in the right direction for all of us and can only work to better our chances of an inquiry," he added.
The families will also meet with PSNI Chief Constable, Matt Baggott, and Northern Ireland Justice Minister, David Ford.
The families have repeatedly claimed that the contents of the specially-commissioned report will serve to embarrass both the Irish and British authorities, and highlight alleged security force failings on the day of the atrocity.
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/2022
Published Date: 05-Jul-12
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