The UK’s forthcoming investigation into the Omagh bombing will be supported by Ireland, as decided by the Cabinet. The initial hearing, led by Lord Turnbull, is scheduled for the 30th of July. The catastrophic bombing by the Real IRA in Omagh in 1998 resulted in the loss of 29 lives, including a pregnant woman bearing twins. The inquiry was urged by a judge of the Belfast High Court in 2021 who recommended a probe into purported security lapses before the attack, compatible with human rights. Justice Horner suggested that chances existed in intercepting the attack beforehand.
Last year, the local Coalition confirmed their assistance for the planned investigation. Ireland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin alongside the Justice Minister, Helen McEntee, obtained Cabinet endorsement on Tuesday to extend cooperation to the ongoing investigation. A Government representative affirmed this adheres to a promise given to the families of the Omagh victims. Ireland has furthermore agreed to have representation for observation in the preliminary hearing on July 30th.
Concurrent efforts continue with the investigating team and officials from the Departments of Justice and Foreign Affairs to ensure effective collaboration throughout the UK investigation. Meanwhile, Eamon Ryan, Minister for the Environment and Transport, briefed the Cabinet on issues like the 2023 annual report of public transport company CIÉ, advances in the National Broadband Plan (NBP) and strategies to resolve potential conflicts between the seafood and offshore wind sectors.
CIÉ Group, encompassing Irish Rail, Bus Éireann, and Dublin Bus, witnessed an increase in last year’s revenue by €189 million, reaching €1.6 billion. Passenger counts surpassed pre-pandemic levels, figuring just under 300 million accomplished travels. Dublin Bus recorded a 25 million passenger increase to 146 million, marking a 20-year high.
In regards to the NBP, the Cabinet was informed that despite hindrances brought by the pandemic, National Broadband Ireland, tasked with the roll-out, is optimistic about completing the project on schedule within the fixed upper limit of €2.7 billion. Thus far, of the projected 600,000 premises, 261,000 have been covered by the new infrastructure and can immediately gain access to broadband connectivity.
About 86,000 connections have already been established, with an additional 5,500 currently in progress, surpassing initial expectations.
Mr Ryan presented to his peers a proposal for a nationwide contractual understanding between the seafood and offshore renewable energy industries. The objective of this agreement is to expedite pre-build surveys required for advancing offshore wind schemes, which are considered crucial for Ireland’s ambitions regarding renewable energy, environmental responsibility, energy security and competitiveness.
Previously, local arrangements between developers and those affected were negotiated. A government representative has stated that this process proved to be difficult. To safeguard the interests of the seafood industry whilst also supporting the prompt development and implementation of renewable offshore projects, a nationwide agreement is being proposed between the two sectors.