Press release
Statement by Tánaiste and Minister for Justice
From Department of Foreign Affairs
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Foreign Affairs
Published on
Last updated on
Statement by Micheál Martin, Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Helen McEntee, Minister for Justice, following meeting with family members of Omagh bombing victims
The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin, and the Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee, today met with family members of some of those who lost their lives in the Omagh bombing.
Speaking after the meeting, the Tánaiste said:
"It’s important to hear from the families affected by the Omagh bombing to hear how this government can assist them in their search for the truth.
"We are currently waiting on the publication of the Terms of Reference for the statutory inquiry into the Omagh bombing, announced earlier this year by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
"Last week, in London, I asked Chris Heaton-Harris for the earliest possible sight of those terms of reference now that a Chair of the Omagh Bombing Inquiry has been announced.
"When we have clarity on the nature of the UK inquiry, I will then consider, along with the Minister for Justice and my Cabinet colleagues, the next steps in this jurisdiction. The needs of the victims of that unspeakable attack will be at the heart of any action that the government takes.
"As we approach the 25th anniversary of the attack, we will not be found wanting.
"The Omagh bombing was a savage attack, carried out with disregard for the people of this island. It also showed total disregard for the overwhelming support for the Good Friday Agreement which was shown in referendums just months before the bombing."
Speaking after the meeting Minister McEntee said:
"I welcome the opportunity to meet with and hear directly from those whose lives have been so irrevocably affected by the Omagh bombing.
"It was a brutal atrocity and an act of mass murder. The terrorists who carried it out had simply no sense of humanity. It is they who carry responsibility for this cruel act and we must never forget that.
"Earlier this year the UK announced its intention to establish an inquiry into the preventability of the Omagh bombing. We await further detail regarding the Terms of Reference of the Inquiry.
"As has been done in relation to a number of historical inquiries, this State will cooperate fully as may be required."