McDowell says edited report may be published

Justice Minister Michael McDowell has told the Dáil that the Government is prepared to publish an edited version of the Nally Report into the 1998 Omagh bombing.

However, Mr McDowell said this would not be published until a garda investigation connected to the report was completed.

He also said the full Nally Report would not be published for security reasons. The report, compiled by retired civil servant Dermot Nally, rejected allegations that gardaí had prior warnings of the bombing but failed to act.

Extracts from the report were read in the Dáil record last year, but the rest remains unpublished.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said yesterday that he would like to see an edited version of the report published and presented to the families of the 29 people who died in the Omagh bombing.

Michael Gallagher, whose son was one of those victims, also criticised the fact that the Taoiseach would not be present in the Dáil when the report is discussed today.

He said Bertie Ahern’s absence was an indication of the Taoiseach’s attitude towards the victims of the attack.