Omagh families granted £800,000 for civil case

The families of the Omagh blast victims were granted £800,000 of public money yesterday to mount a civil action against the alleged bombers.

The Government also signalled that the controversial decision to grant legal aid to the five men suspected of the atrocity could be reversed.

The developments followed a warning that the civil prosecution was close to collapse because an appeal had raised only £1.2m of the £2mneeded to launch the prosecution.

Michael McKevitt, founder of the Real IRA, was jailed in the Irish Republic this week for 20 years after being found guilty of directing terrorism. He is one of five men accused by the families of responsibility for the 1998 explosion, in which 29 people died and hundreds were injured when a Real IRA car bomb devastated Omagh town centre.

Paul Murphy, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, said: "While I recognise the legal constraints and complexities, I have always believed that this is an exceptional case and the vast majority of people in Northern Ireland and beyond want to see the families bring it to court.The magnificent scale of the financial donations from the public to date supports that view."

The Government has not yet decided from which part of its budget the £800,000 will be raised. As it will not be able to use cash set aside for legal aid, the most likely option is dipping into emergency funds held by the new Department for Constitutional Affairs.

Mr Murphy said he had asked the Law Society of Northern Ireland, which granted legal aid to the men, "to reconsider whether they have given due weight to the financial assets of the defendants in reaching their decision".

"The public will not easily understand why apparently rich men who are convicted terrorists should have their legal fees subsidised by the taxpayer," he said.

Michael Gallagher, whose son Aidan, 21, was killed in the atrocity, said: "It is fantastic, unbelievable news. I think it will go a long way towards giving the families justice. It takes an enormous burden off our shoulders."

Victor Barker, whose son James, aged 12, also died, said: "It is very welcome that the Government has now seen fit to give the same assistance to the relatives as they are giving to defendants in legal aid cases."

Colm Murphy, the only person to be convicted of plotting the attack, was sentenced to 14 years in jail in Dublin last year.

Last summer, solicitors for the Omagh Victims' Civil Action Group served writs on five people suspected of involvement in the bombing, seeking £10m in damages.

Documents were given to Michael McKevitt, Liam Campbell, and Colm Murphy in Portlaoise jail, while a solicitor visited the border town of Dundalk in the Irish Republic to serve writs on two other people, Seamus Daly and Seamus McKenna. It was not possible to make direct contact with the two men in Dundalk, and the writs were either handed to relatives or posted through the door of their home.