Lives of civil servants could be at risk from if names are not redacted, Omagh Bombing inquiry told

The Omagh Bombing Inquiry has heard that the lives of junior civil servants could be at risk from Dissident Republicans, if their names are not redacted from documents.

The claim was made by a barrister representing the Secretary of State at a sitting of the Inquiry in Belfast on Wednesday.

Bereaved families and their legal representatives have expressed their opposition to any redactions.

Fiona Fee KC said: "They are actively planning and carrying out attacks including on members of the security forces and those employed by the state.

"Identification of a junior civil servant through a document, however innocuous, could assist with targeting more readily.

"This not only increases the actual risk towards junior civil servants, it is also likely to increase their subjective fears."

The Omagh Bombing Inquiry, chaired by Lord Turnbull, is holding procedural hearings in Belfast which relate to submissions to redact information from materials.

The public inquiry was set up by the previous government to examine whether the explosion could have been prevented by the UK authorities.The Real IRA bomb in the Co Tyrone town in August 1998 killed 29 people, including a woman who was pregnant with twins, in the worst single atrocity in the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

The PSNI has made a similar application asking for the identities of people who were suspects in the Omagh bombing and other linked attacks but never charged to be protected.

Counsel to the inquiry Paul Greaney KC told the hearing that it was “highly unfortunate” that legal papers relating to the redaction of names were received on the evening before the public session.

The barrister said the inquiry would see the documents in unredacted form but the issue was whether they should be redacted before they are given to core participants.Core participants in the inquiry include the families of those who were killed in the bombing as well as multiple people who were injured.

One barrister acting on behalf of bereaved families said the names of suspects should not be hidden.

"For their consideration, the identity of each and every suspect connected to any of those incidents regardless of whether they were dissident or otherwise," Michael Smyth said.

The hearing resumes tomorrow.

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