Cowen urges fair response to Omagh report
Official responses to the report on the Omagh bomb inquiry must be transparent if public confidence is to be maintained, Minister for Foreign Affairs Brian Cowen said today.
Arriving at Parliament Buildings in Stormont for a review of north south bodies, Mr Cowen said it was vital that the views of all parties were heard before a final decision was taken on the report.
‘‘Obviously they are important matters and it’s important for public confidence that the transparent way in which this matter is now going to be dealt with is seen by everyone to be fair and equitable in all circumstances,’’ he said.
The report made public by Police Ombudsman Nuala O’Loan last week castigated the Chief Constable Ronnie Flanagan and other senior officers of defective leadership and seriously flawed judgment.
It claimed this had significantly hampered chances of apprehending the terrorists responsible for murdering 29 people.
Mr Flanagan has yet to make his official response to the report but has threatened to take legal action against the ombudsman.
He has agreed to meet relatives of the victims in Omagh to give his view of what he believes were a series of ‘‘distorted conclusions’’ in the report.
The newly-formed Policing Board will also meet next month to consider the report.
Mr Cowen said this was evidence that the matter was being dealt with in a ‘‘structured and systematic way’’.
