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Ministerial Meetings

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 30 April 2014

Wednesday, 30 April 2014

Questions (584)

Mattie McGrath

Question:

584. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will agree to meet the families of the Omagh victim support group; if he will support the call for a full cross-Border public inquiry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16082/14]

View answer

Written answers

The Deputy will be aware that I met previously with members of the Omagh Support and Self-Help Group. At that meeting the Group raised with me a number of issues of concern it has with regard to events surrounding the Omagh bombing. The Group also presented me with a copy of a document it has compiled setting out these concerns in support of its call for a public inquiry into various matters surrounding the Omagh bombing.

Given the detailed and sensitive nature of the material contained in the document, that consideration has required some time for the matters raised, insofar as they relate to this State and to the Garda Síochána, to be given full consideration. I have been in the process of finalising that detailed consideration. However, as the Deputy will be aware, earlier this month a man was arrested in Northern Ireland and has been charged with the 29 murders caused by the bomb at Omagh.

In these circumstances, I believe the safest course of action is to postpone finalising my consideration of the matters raised by the Omagh Group until the prosecution process in Northern Ireland has been completed. We all share a desire for those who carried out the bombing at Omagh to be made amenable to the courts and I believe we must all be careful to ensure that we do not do or say anything that could in any way be interpreted to interfere with that process.

I have communicated this view directly to the Omagh Group. It is, of course, understandable that the Group wishes to receive a response to its concerns and I remain anxious to ensure that can take place as soon as is prudent.

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