Families angry as Ahern fails to attend Omagh anniversary
Michael Gallagher, the spokesman for the families, pointed out yesterday that Mr Ahern had been invited to all the anniversary commemorations since the 1998 Real IRA bomb which claimed 29 lives, but had been unable to attend.
He did attend a ceremony held in Omagh a week after the atrocity.
Mr Gallagher, whose 21-year-old son Adrian died in the atrocity, chastised the Government for what the families see as its lack of support.
“I think that the Irish Government could do a lot more. I do not think that the Government is acting now in the spirit of how they were speaking after the Omagh bomb,” he said.
His comments came as the Taoiseach released a statement to coincide with the fifth anniversary.
Mr Ahern said that he was “very conscious of the pain and suffering endured by the victims of the Omagh bomb and their relatives”.
He also reiterated the Government’s “deep commitment” to pursuing the perpetrators and revealed that Minister for Justice Michael McDowell will meet the families’ group during September.
“The Government will continue its engagement with the Omagh relatives, with a view to providing whatever practical assistance it can,” the Taoiseach said.
However, Mr Gallagher said he would wait and see whether or not the Taoiseach’s comments constituted a positive move that would help their campaign to achieve justice.
“I would be the last person to throw cold water on it. We will take the offer at face value. Let’s see if we can take it forward.
“The families feel that there was never a political will in Dublin or London to help the relatives of the victims.
“It was only last week the British Government agreed. We would expect a similar gesture from the Irish Government that they would assist.”
Gallagher has long expressed his frustration at what he sees as the lack of pro-active assistance from the Irish and British governments.
He pointed to a consultation group that was set up after the families met with Foreign Affairs Minister Brian Cowen last November.
“We have occasionally met civil servants from the Department of Foreign Affairs. We have not achieved very much.
“We are not meeting with decision-makers at ministerial level.
“There has been nothing to suggest that will change. We have never had an offer from the Government saying to us: we will assist you in any way we can,” he said.
