Cowen asks Omagh families to 'be patient'

The families of Omagh bomb victims have called on the Government to involve the North's Police Ombudsman in its investigations into the bombing.

An inquiry has been set up to probe whether Gardai had any previous knowledge of the 1998 atrocity and its report is due in two weeks.

After a meeting with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, families' spokesman Michael Gallagher told of Minister Cowen's response to their request.

"He asked us to be patient and to see what the outcome of the inquiry is," he said.

"Then we will meet with the Minister and discuss it and move it forward, but we pressed upon him that we would like his Government to consider using Nuala O Loan's team, particularly given the fact that both governments have endorsed the Ombudsman's office and they had already investigated Omagh."