Relatives of some the Omagh bomb victims have welcomed a judge's determination to start their civil action case in April as planned. The case is against five men they allege are connected with the attack.
At the High Court in Belfast Mr Justice Declan Morgan made clear he was anxious there would be no deferment of the 7 April 2008 date he has set to begin the landmark case.
The victims’ families have mounted a £14m claim against five people. All those being sued – Seamus Daly, Seamus McKenna, Michael McKevitt, Liam Campbell and Colm Murphy – have denied liability.
Twenty-nine people were killed and hundreds injured when the Real IRA bomb exploded in the Co Tyrone town in August 1998.
During a brief pre-trial hearing the judge set a series of deadlines for legal teams preparing for the case. He told them he was anxious to set a timetable to ensure the compensation case proceeds as scheduled.
The case is expected to last between four and eight weeks.
Michael Gallagher, whose son Aidan died in the bombing, was in court. He said the families would like to have the civil case resolved by the tenth anniversary of the attack.
Meanwhile, the British government has offered protection to anyone who comes forward to give evidence in any future Omagh bombing trial.
NI Secretary of State Shaun Woodward discussed Omagh with Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern in Dublin this afternoon.
‘There are people out there who know who did this,' Mr Woodward said. 'If people can feel the courage to come forward we will put every means at their disposal to protect them as witnesses. We can still bring people to justice for Omagh. I would like to see the people responsible for the single biggest atrocity of the Troubles brought to court.'
