Omagh bombing inquiry: Irish government considers 'next steps'

The bombing, the biggest single atrocity in the Troubles, was carried out by the Real IRA just months after the Good Friday Agreement was signed

The Irish government will consider its next steps when it has more clarity on the UK's inquiry into the Omagh bombing, the Tanaiste (Irish deputy PM) has said.

Twenty-nine people died after the bombing in the County Tyrone town on 15 August 1998.

An independent statutory inquiry has been confirmed by the UK government.

Micheál Martin said his government needed to see that inquiry's terms of reference.

Mr Martin was speaking after he accompanied Irish justice minister Helen McEntee to meet with some relatives of the Omagh bomb victims on Wednesday.

• Omagh bombing: Timeline of families' search for justice

• Omagh bomb: 'Real prospect attack could have been prevented'

• Government announces inquiry into Omagh bombing

He said he had asked Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris "for the earliest possible sight of those terms of reference".

'Unspeakable attack'

"When we have clarity on the nature of the UK inquiry, I will then consider, along with the minister for justice and my cabinet colleagues, the next steps in this jurisdiction," he added.

"The needs of the victims of that unspeakable attack will be at the heart of any action that the government takes.

"As we approach the 25th anniversary of the attack, we will not be found wanting."

Michael Gallagher, whose son Aiden was one of the victims, says there was a clear cross-border element to the Omagh bombing

Michael Gallagher, whose son Aiden died in the bombing, was among those to attend Wednesday's meeting in Dublin.

He described the meeting as "positive".

"The Irish government has some work to do, there is obviously a big cross-border element to all of this and issues around how intelligence was managed," he told BBC News NI.

"They are very keen to see the inquiry's terms of reference and when that happens we agreed we would meet again."

The UK government has appointed senior Scottish judge Lord Turnbull as the chairman of the independent statutory inquiry.