Omagh bombing: UK government announces independent statutory inquiryon February 2, 2023 at 1:29 pm

There will be an independent statutory inquiry into the Omagh bombing, the UK government has confirmed.

It was the biggest single atrocity in Northern Ireland’s Troubles.

NI Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris made a statement in the House of Commons on Thursday afternoon.

The announcement follows long-running legal action brought by a relative of one of the 29 people who died after the bomb exploded in the County Tyrone town on 15 August 1998.

It will have the full powers provided by the Inquiries Act 2005, including the ability to compel the production of all relevant materials and witnesses and take evidence under oath, Mr Heaton-Harris told the House.

He said the inquiry will examine four issues identified by a 2021 High Court ruling.

These include the handling and sharing of intelligence, the use of cell phone analysis, whether there was advance knowledge or reasonable means of knowledge of the bomb, and whether disruption operations could or should have been mounted, which may have helped prevent the Real IRA’s attack.

“Having carefully considered the judgment of the High Court, I believe that an independent statutory inquiry is the most appropriate form of further investigation to address the grounds identified by the Court,” Mr Heaton-Harris said in a later statement.

“I would like to thank the victims and survivors and all those affected by the Omagh bomb for their patience whilst I have reflected on the judgment and taken into account a range of sensitive, complex and technical factors.”

At a time when the government is planning to draw a line under the past through shutting down inquests and others investigations, launching a new inquiry into the Omagh bombing will strike a chord with other victims and their families.

But the government will argue that the bombing falls outside its Troubles Legacy Bill as it happened after the 1998 Good Friday Agreement was signed.

The inquiry will also have a narrow focus – to establish if the bombing could have been prevented had intelligence information been acted upon.

But the lesson other victim’s families will take from today is that the government will only act when the courts demand it.

That is why we can expect legal challenges to the government’s controversial legacy legislation when it becomes law.

Bereaved families have been campaigning for an inquiry for more than a decade.

In July 2021, the High Court found there should be an investigation on both sides of the border into whether intelligence information could have prevented the Real IRA attack.

The judge, Mr Justice Horner, said on the basis of evidence he heard it is plausible the bombing could have been stopped.

He said any investigation should look specifically at whether a more pro-active campaign of disruption had the prospect of thwarting the attack.

He did not state the investigation needed to be in the form of a public inquiry.

Mr Heaton-Harris had pledged to announce the government’s response to the judgment early this year.

The secretary of state travelled to Omagh in December to meet some of the bereaved families and visit the site of the bombing and a nearby memorial garden.

While having no jurisdiction to order the Irish government to act on the matter, Mr Justice Horner urged authorities there to establish their own probe in light of his findings.

Speaking to Irish national broadcaster RTÉ on Thursday morning, Irish Justice Minister Simon Harris said the Irish government in Dublin would wait to see the detail of the secretary of state’s announcement before considering what action was required.

Pressed on the Belfast High Court recommendation that investigations should be carried out by both governments, the minister said: “The crucial test from my perspective as minister for justice will be what additional support or additionality can we add to that inquiry.”