Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 May 2024
63. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has had any recent discussions with the British government in relation to the terms of reference for the UK Omagh bombing inquiry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20772/24]
View answerI have discussed the matter of the UK Government's Statutory Inquiry with the Secretary of State on a number of occasions, most recently at the British Irish Inter-Governmental Conference in London on 29 April.
The UK Government’s establishment of an Inquiry into the preventability of the Omagh bombing last year was a welcome step. The publication of the Terms of Reference of the Inquiry by the Secretary of State in February marked the formal start of the Inquiry's business.
The Government is committed to engaging with the Inquiry. The needs of the victims of that unspeakable attack will be at the heart of any action that the government takes. I am determined to ensure that, at the end of the UK Inquiry, there is nothing unanswered in this jurisdiction. It is the Government’s view that we should fully cooperate.
Officials from my Department and the Department of Justice had some engagement with the Inquiry team before the Terms of Reference were published and are now in ongoing contact. Finalisation of the Terms of Reference is a matter for the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
The Inquiry Team have now formally confirmed details for their Preliminary Hearing which are due to take place on 30 July 2024 at the Strule Arts Centre in Omagh.
Last year, Minister McEntee and I met with family members of some Omagh bombing victims. It was important that we heard from the families affected and gain an understanding of how the Government can assist them in their search for truth. What happened at Omagh was an unspeakable and brutal act of cruelty. The terrorists who carried it out had simply no sense of humanity and they displayed a complete and shocking disregard for life itself.
As has been done in relation to a number of historical inquiries, this State will continue to cooperate fully. A number of measures are available to provide for cooperation, and mechanisms have been put in place in recent years, including primary legislation which includes provisions for Garda cooperation with statutory inquiries in the UK.
