Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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363. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if he will establish a public inquiry on the Omagh bombing, as previously committed to. [8929/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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The single worst atrocity of the Troubles occurred in Omagh on 15 August 1998. The bombing was an unspeakable and brutal act of cruelty carried out by terrorists with no sense of humanity or respect for human life. We will never forget those who lost their lives, those who were injured and the families whose suffering for their loved ones continues.

The Omagh Bombing Inquiry was established by the Northern Ireland Secretary of State in March 2024 to investigate whether the bombing could have been prevented. The work of the Inquiry continues and the commemorative hearings concluded last month. My thoughts are with the victims’ families and survivors. The testimony given was heart-breaking and I would like to pay tribute to the courage of all those who shared their experiences.

From the outset, the Government has made clear its intention to do everything possible to assist the Inquiry. That is in the best interests of victims and their families and follows the Government Decision last July to assist the Inquiry. The Programme for Government strongly reiterates that intention, stating that we will “play our full part in legacy processes...including facilitating and supporting the Omagh Inquiry”.

The cross border nature of the assistance, to an inquiry established under UK law, means that there are legal complexities that must be worked through in seeking to put in place mechanisms to guide and support our engagement with the Inquiry. Government officials, including officials from my Department and the Department of Foreign Affairs, are engaged in the detail of this work, meeting regularly with the Inquiry team. These discussions are progressing well and I expect to conclude our discussions on a Memorandum of Understanding for the sharing of Irish materials in the weeks ahead which will be an important step forward.

Along with the Taoiseach and Tánaiste, I am committed to assisting the Inquiry to the greatest extent possible consistent with our laws including the constitutional rights of individuals. Should it be necessary to bring forward legislation to support this assistance to the Inquiry, the Government has made clear that this will be done.

In parallel with discussing with the Inquiry team how best to structure our engagement over the course of its work, some practical measures have been put in place. In particular, a central point of contact (CPC) has been established in my Department to ensure timely and effective management of all requests for assistance from the Inquiry. Key State authorities who may have relevant records have also nominated contact points to support the operation of the CPC. A number of requests for material have already been received and are being examined by relevant authorities. In recent days an application was made to the High Court on behalf of the Inquiry seeking access to various records of the Special Criminal Court.

The Government will continue to engage with the Omagh Inquiry Team to find solutions, consistent with Irish law, to enable us to fulfil our commitment to assisting the Inquiry.

Insofar as the question of the establishment of a public inquiry in this jurisdiction is concerned, I am satisfied that the best approach is for the Government to cooperate to the greatest extent possible with the Omagh Inquiry with a view to it being able to provide the answers to the questions that have been raised in relation to the bombing by the families of the victims and others.