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Omagh bomb victims' relatives meet Owen Paterson | |
(about 4 hours later) | |
Relatives of victims of the 1998 Omagh bombing have presented the Northern Ireland secretary with a report which they say contains fresh evidence. | |
Twenty-nine people and unborn twins died in the Real IRA atrocity. | Twenty-nine people and unborn twins died in the Real IRA atrocity. |
The families say they have evidence authorities on both sides of the border could have prevented the bombing. | |
Spokesman Michael Gallagher said Owen Paterson indicated he would share the information with the PSNI and the justice minister, David Ford. | |
Legal action | |
Speaking after the hour-long meeting at Hillsborough on Monday, Mr Gallagher said they were not optimistic that a public inquiry would be granted. | |
He said that if the secretary of state refused to authorise one, the families would attempt to overturn the decision with legal action. | |
No-one has been successfully criminally convicted of the bombing which devastated the County Tyrone town. | No-one has been successfully criminally convicted of the bombing which devastated the County Tyrone town. |
Mr Gallagher, whose son Aidan was killed in the bombing, said earlier that Taoiseach Enda Kenny had not yet responded to their repeated requests for a meeting. | |
He said the report was produced by a London legal consultancy firm which they commissioned to "look at all the inquiries and investigations that had taken place on both sides of the border". | |
'Piecemeal' | 'Piecemeal' |
"Up to this point, we have had a number of separate investigations looking at particular areas in a piecemeal fashion," he said. | "Up to this point, we have had a number of separate investigations looking at particular areas in a piecemeal fashion," he said. |
"What this report has done is filled in the gaps and pulled everything together. | "What this report has done is filled in the gaps and pulled everything together. |
"It leaves some very significant questions to be answered, and we believe the only way to do that is a cross-border public inquiry." | "It leaves some very significant questions to be answered, and we believe the only way to do that is a cross-border public inquiry." |
One of the report's authors was Martin Bridger, who led the Police Ombudsman's investigation into whether the bombing could have been prevented. | One of the report's authors was Martin Bridger, who led the Police Ombudsman's investigation into whether the bombing could have been prevented. |
The report's findings cannot be made public because some of its contents are legally sensitive, but they are seeking permission from a judge to publish it, he added. | The report's findings cannot be made public because some of its contents are legally sensitive, but they are seeking permission from a judge to publish it, he added. |