Chair, I am here today on behalf of the Government of Ireland to signal in the clearest terms our commitment to facilitating and supporting the work of this Inquiry.
We welcome the opportunity to make a statement at this opening session. Having engaged closely with your team, Chair, in the months leading up to today, it is important that the Government of Ireland is represented here today.
The Government of Ireland at the most senior level recognises the importance of this Inquiry for victims and survivors of the heinous attack that took place in Omagh on the 15th of August 1998.
Thank you, on the Government’s behalf, for the invitation.
Hearing out loud the names of those whose lives were taken here in Omagh that terrible August day reminds us all of the human cost of that brutal terrorist attack. The Government of Ireland recognises the enormous loss suffered by their families, and the enduring toll on all those injured. They – you – are at the centre of our endeavours, as the Inquiry takes forward its work.
The 15th of August 1998 is engraved on the collective consciousness of the people of these islands. At a time of collective hope, it was a senseless and callous act of terror that sought to undermine the peace that had been secured a few months earlier. We remember the toll of lives lost and lives changed forever. We recall the dignity and bravery of the families who have worked tirelessly as advocates ever since.
As this Inquiry begins its work, it is important to place on record, on this its first day, the Government of Ireland’s condemnation and abhorrence of the criminal actions of those who planned this attack and planted and detonated the bomb.
In June last year, the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin TD, and the Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee TD, met with family members and heard first-hand how the events of the 15th of August 1998 has affected their lives. They listened as families shared how the Government of Ireland could assist them in getting answers. This Inquiry is an opportunity to explore one of the fundamental questions that families have asked, namely around the preventability of the attack.
The unwavering courage and dignity that the Omagh families have shown throughout their long quest for truth, justice and accountability is commendable. I want to make particular mention of Mr. Michael Gallagher, as the judgment in the case he brought gave rise to this Inquiry.
Engaging with the Inquiry is an opportunity for the Government of Ireland to demonstrate our commitment to meeting the needs of victims and survivors, as part of the necessary work of reconciling the painful legacy of the past. The Government’s position has always been that we must adequately address the past if we want to achieve genuine reconciliation for the future. Today, we want to assure the families and survivors of the Omagh bombing – unequivocally – of that commitment to fully assist the Inquiry.
Earlier this month, the Government of Ireland made the formal decision to assist the Omagh Bombing Inquiry, and accepted the invitation of the Chairman to attend this preliminary hearing here in Omagh today.
The purpose of my statement today is to assure families that Government officials, including officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Department of Justice, as well as An Garda Síochána, have been engaging regularly with the Inquiry team since its appointment last November. That good faith engagement will help determine how the Irish State can assist the Inquiry.
Notwithstanding the particular complexities in assisting any Inquiry established under the law of another sovereign jurisdiction, including the appropriateness of a sovereign State joining as a Core Participant, the Government of Ireland is determined, together with the Inquiry team, to establish a bespoke mechanism to guide our engagement and assist the Inquiry.
Our commitment is to ensure that there is nothing left unanswered in our jurisdiction at the end of the Inquiry. It will be important to ensure the arrangements underpinning our engagement are legally robust and the Government of Ireland is committed to putting in place the most effective possible arrangements to help the Inquiry’s work. These will be consistent with the Inquiry’s own terms of reference and with Irish law, in particular with regard to the Constitutional and ECHR rights of persons.
This follows on from actions taken by this Government and its predecessors over the years to support the families of the victims. These include assisting the Northern Ireland Courts during the civil proceedings taken by the families, and the enactment of primary and secondary legislation through the Houses of the Oireachtas to support cross-border cooperation with UK authorities.
We will do everything in our power to ensure that this spirit of cooperation endures. This will be grounded in law to support concrete action. The Government is committed to put in place additional new legislation, if that is what is required, to support our assistance to the Inquiry. These important details are being worked through with the Inquiry team, to ensure that our engagement proceeds on the strongest possible footing.
Twenty-six years on from that day in August, the malice of those who perpetrated that terrible attack is a reminder that many have tried and failed to deny peace and democracy on this island. Instead, efforts were galvanised to move the dial of progress in the direction of peace and reconciliation. Such efforts continue to this day.
Chair, we all know that families have waited a long time, and have worked for a long time, for this Inquiry. The needs of the victims’ families, the survivors and the wider community in Omagh will guide our approach. We will work to ensure that our deeds match our words in respect of this Inquiry.
Thank you.
