Justice spokesperson, Doug Beattie MC MLA said, “Yet again, the families of those murdered by republican terrorists in the Omagh bombing are calling for the Irish government to hold a parallel inquiry to ensure they get the answers they deserve.

“Yet again, the Irish government has snubbed those pleas, ignored the victims’ families, and adopted a light touch on legacy akin to dismissing their involvement as inconsequential. They are wrong.

“As Irish ministers line up to criticise the UK government's legacy proposals, call for former PSNI and RUC officers to be removed from the Independent Commission for Reconciliation & Information Recovery (ICRIR), and clutch their pearls, saying Omagh was 'terrible,' the reality is they continue to sit on their hands regarding legacy.

“If the Irish government needs reminding, it's this simple: The car used to transport the bomb to Omagh was stolen in Ireland, the explosives were sourced and prepared in Ireland, the timer power unit (TPU) was manufactured in Ireland, the bomb was assembled in Ireland, the operation was planned in Ireland, and the murderers left from Ireland to cross into Northern Ireland, murder 29 innocent people, and escape back into Ireland. Yet, the Irish government seems to think it has nothing to do with them.

“The entire legacy piece has been left to languish by the Irish government, with no legacy mechanisms being put in place. The memorandum of understanding lacks teeth, and the ability to challenge any of the state's intelligence apparatus is lacking. It is now time the UK government brought an interstate case against the Irish government to the European Court of Human Rights, highlighting their failure to address legacy.”