West Tyrone MP Órfhlaith Begley said the campaign by the Omagh families for the full truth about the killings of their loved ones has taken a big step forward today with the announcement of an independent statutory inquiry.   

And she called again on the British government to scrap its flawed and cruel legacy bill.

Sinn Féin said: 

“My first thoughts are with the Omagh families who have campaigned for almost 25 years with dignity and determination.

“They have faced many barriers in their efforts to uncover the full truth of what happened that day.

“The High Court ruling was clear in July 2021 on the need for investigations north and south. This ruling must be respected.

“Sinn Féin fully supports the demand of the families of the victims of the 1998 Omagh Bomb for a full cross-border public inquiry.

“The families deserve full transparency and full disclosure about the events which led to the killing of their loved ones.

“There should be no more delays and no more hold-ups preventing the families from finding out the truth.

“Today’s announcement of an inquiry also points up the sheer folly of the British government’s cruel and callous Legacy Bill this is about denying families access to the courts and due process.

“I am reiterating Sinn Féin’s call for an urgent summit involving the British and Irish governments and political parties on the issue of legacy.    

“If the British government is serious about upholding the legal right of victims and families to truth and justice, they will stop the passage of the Legacy Bill to allow for dialogue. 

“The legacy mechanisms were agreed by the main political parties, the Irish government and the British government at Stormont House in 2014, they must be implemented in a human rights compliant manner.”