Meeting held after concerns raised about document disclosure

A MEETING with representatives of the Irish government is taking place in Omagh this afternoon amidst concerns about the disclosure of documents key to the inquiry into the 1998 bombing in the town.

The families of some of the 31 people killed on Market Street on August 15, 1998, and some of those injured have expressed concerns about the co-operation of the Dublin government with the Omagh Bombing Inquiry.

A special Memorandum of Understanding facilitating disclosure was signed in April. However, calls for the Dublin government to have a separate parallel inquiry have continued.

Speaking today at the close of the second day of opening statements, the Chair of the Inquiry, Lord Turnbull, said that the concerns of family core participants over the co-operation of the Irish government were ‘understandable’ even if some were expressed in ‘more trenchant language’ than others.

“I have no doubt that the more strongly worded and sceptical remarks passed concerning co-operation were formulated through the lends of long previous experience,” he said.

“But by way of contrast, I come to these proceedings unburdened by any previous experience of contact, negotiation or communication with the authorities in the Republic of Ireland.

“Some many consider that an advantage, others a disadvantage. However, it allows the luxury of an open mind. I therefore take the various assurances which have repeatedly been made by senior members of the Government of Ireland at face value and I assume that they are made in good faith.”