Irish police deny Omagh allegation

Victims' relatives outside the Home Office

Irish police have described as "ludicrous" a suggestion that intelligence on Real IRA operations was not communicated to the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

In a statement on Thursday, the Garda Siochana said the allegations were unfounded.

Relatives of the Omagh bomb victims are meeting Home Secretary David Blunkett in London on Thursday.

They are expected to raise concerns that intelligence gathered in the Republic of Ireland before the Omagh bombing did not reach relevant authorities in Northern Ireland.

The garda commissioner is concerned that such unfounded allegations would be a source of anxiety to any relative of those tragically killed and those injured in the Omagh bombing

Garda Siochana

It is understood they will press for the tightening of the law concerning fundraising for the Real IRA.

They are also seeking assurances that police on both sides of the Irish border are pulling together to track down the Real IRA bombers.

Twenty-nine people, including children and a pregnant woman, died and more than 200 people were injured in the dissident republican bombing of the County Tyrone town in August 1998.

It was the biggest single loss of life in 30 years of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

The families also want recent changes to anti-terrorist law to include the dissident republican group.

A panel of three former senior civil servants has been set up in the Republic to examine allegations about the Omagh bomb investigation.

Nuala O'Loan: Met Irish foreign affairs minister

On Wednesday, Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman Nuala O'Loan met Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Brian Cowen to discuss the claims.

A statement from the ombudsman's office said information had come from a Garda officer about events leading up to the atrocity.

It said the material related to matters in the Republic of Ireland and had been passed to the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin.

The Republic's justice minister, John O'Donoghue, said he had been assured by the Garda Commissioner there was no basis for suggesting the Gardai had information which could have prevented the Omagh attack.

'Tragically killed'

In its statement on Thursday, the Garda Siochana said it and the Police Service of Northern Ireland "had and continue to have an excellent working protocol in all areas of law enforcement".

It said this was particularly so "where intelligence on criminal or terrorist activity is concerned".

"The allegations made have no substance and appear to emanate from mischievous sources.

Michael Gallagher: "The information we have shows the reality is quite different"

"The garda commissioner is concerned that such unfounded allegations would be a source of anxiety to any relative of those tragically killed and those injured in the Omagh bombing."

Kevin Skelton, whose wife was killed in the bombing, said a police ombudsman type figure was needed in the Republic to ensure transparency.

"Unless people are independent, I have no faith in them at all," he said.

"It is the same as the police investigating the police - you are going to get the answers which would suit the Garda down south.

"It is not independent and I would have no faith in it at all."

'Quite different'

Michael Gallagher, whose son Aidan died in the bomb, said both governments needed to work together on the investigation.

"We were told in the face of it that there was fantastic co-operation between both governments and both police forces stood up and said how much co-operation they had," he said.

"I think the information we have has shown us that the reality is something quite different."

Only one person in the Republic of Ireland - Colm Murphy - has been convicted in connection with the bombing.