Troubles campaigners lambast Irish state for doing mere 'minimum' to help Omagh bomb inquiry as taoiseach urges gardai to testify

​Meanwhile Irish premier Micheal Martin today urged former gardai and others to testify to the inquiry if called.

The bomb was prepared in the Republic of Ireland and transported by the Real IRA members who then fled back across the border after planting it.

On Tuesday it was revealed that a “memorandum of understanding” (MoU) had been agreed with the Irish state for it to assist the ongoing inquiry.

Among those critical of the memorandum is TUV leader Jim Allister, who said that it creates “no legally-binding obligations on Dublin”.

He added that “by continuing to refuse to conduct its own public inquiry, as recommended by Horner LJ [in Belfast High Court in 2021], the Republic once more lives up to its historic record of covering up its harbouring of terrorists”.

Kenny Donaldson, director of the South East Fermanagh Foundation, has told the News Letter: "An MoU falls short of what we have been signalling needed to happen – either the establishment of a parallel inquiry or empowering the current Inquiry to have rights to sit in a Dublin-based court and to call upon whom it deems it needs to hear from, exercising full compellability rights.

"We have known so-called enabling legislation, previously introduced to supposedly aid the Kingsmills inquest, which proved in practice to not be what it said on the tin.

"The experience of that process left many of the families in an even more frustrated position than had the Irish Government done nothing.

"The days of the Irish or UK State serving up the minimum in order to meet their legal requirements must end, and be replaced with a truly transformative culture where the states and structures become agents for change, assisting victims/survivors to obtain maximum disclosure, aiding efforts for their own process of healing.”

Meanwhile the charity Ulster Human Rights Watch voiced similar views.

Its advocacy manager Axel Schmidt said: “This MoU is a fig leaf to cover the Irish Government’s unwillingness to cooperate fully in the public inquiry.

“What is the Irish Government concealing? Who are they trying to protect and what do they think they’ll achieve by hiding behind this MoU?

“Once again, Dublin is doing the bare minimum in the hope that it will escape close and necessary judicial scrutiny of its inactions and failings.

“It is utterly shameful that the Republic of Ireland is unwilling to be truly open and transparent about the lead-up to and subsequent investigation of the republican bomb attack in 1998.

“This MoU fails the families, disrespects the Inquiry and once again glaringly demonstrates that when it comes to legacy, the Irish Government is good at lecturing others but is unwilling to do anything that might shine a light on its own shortcomings and failings.

"The lack of cooperation in the investigation of this most horrendous crime will have to be brought to the attention of the international community.”

Asked about reports of retired gardai being advised not to testify, taoiseach Micheal Martin today told Newstalk radio in the Republic: “I regret that if that’s the case. I think people should testify and people should co-operate, in my view, with the inquiry.

“I take the view that those who planted that bomb are the people who are culpable for the appalling loss of life...

“The bomb was made in the Republic, and many people connected were pursued on different charges and on different issues.”