Lead counsel to the Omagh Bombing Inquiry Paul Greaney KC said there ‘should be no doubt’ that Ireland has provided substantial disclosure.
Families of Omagh bombing victims will be “disappointed” the Irish Government has not allowed Garda officers or state officials to give evidence in Belfast about the 1998 atrocity, a public inquiry has heard.
However, lead counsel to the Omagh Bombing Inquiry Paul Greaney KC said there “should be no doubt” that Ireland has provided substantial disclosure to the proceedings.
Twenty-nine people, including a woman pregnant with twins, died in the bombing in the County Tyrone town on August 15 1998.
Mr Greaney told an evidential hearing of the public inquiry that a memorandum of understanding had been agreed with the Irish Government last year over the disclosure of materials.
He said: “As a result of that MOU, the inquiry has been able to disclose 756 documents at last count, comprising 42,458 pages to core participants.
“A reference that represents approximately 20% of all disclosure made by the inquiry to all participants in terms of the number of pages.
“So, there should be no doubt about whether the Government of Ireland has provided substantial disclosure to the inquiry, it has.”
Mr Greaney also said core members of the inquiry team had been able to read “sensitive government of Ireland”.
He said that material would provide the basis for significant portions of the issues being investigated in the current phase of the public inquiry.
The barrister added that last year the Irish Government had consulted the inquiry on a “bespoke piece of legislation” over how evidence from Garda officers and state officials would be given.
Mr Greaney said: “That legislation allows the inquiry to set out questions for witnesses who, if the questions are accepted, will be deposed through a court process conducted in front of a judge in the Republic of Ireland.”
He added: “We made clear in response to the consultation, and on occasions before and after that, the inquiry’s clear position is that it would wish to receive evidence from Irish state-based witnesses, such as AGS (An Garda Síochána) officers, in the same way that any oral evidence is received in this inquiry, live and at this hearing centre in Belfast.
“Notwithstanding our position, following the consultation in the early summer of this year, the Government of Ireland enacted legislation, and we acknowledge that that was their right as a sovereign state.
“We know that it will have disappointed the bereaved families and survivors, just as, to be frank, it disappointed us.
“But no one should underestimate what has been achieved.”
A senior Garda officer is scheduled to have his pre-recorded video statement taken by the inquiry team played out to the hearing later this week.
