Relatives of the victims of the Omagh bomb are to meet members of the North's Policing Board today to discuss the continuing controversy over the police investigation into the incident.
The families will meet the corporate affairs policy committee of the board at a hotel in Omagh this afternoon. Local SDLP Assembly member, Mr Joe Byrne, who is a member of the board but not of the committee, will also be present.
"We are going to Omagh to hear the families' concerns and give them an opportunity to tell us what they would like us to do," he told The Irish Times.
Mr William Gibson, whose daughter, Esther, was killed in the bomb, said relatives were anxious to establish more facts about the police investigation. "We are not interested in the ongoing fight between Nuala O'Loan and Ronnie Flanagan. What we want is to establish the facts and get to the bottom of all this. We hope the Policing Board can help," he said.
A DUP member of the Policing Board, Mr Ian Paisley jnr, said he hoped the Omagh relatives would be invited to the board's next meeting when it will question the Chief Constable, Sir Ronnie Flanagan. "The families have handled themselves with great dignity and it would be entirely appropriate for them to be present when we question Sir Ronnie next week."
Mr Michael Gallagher, whose son, Aidan, died in Omagh, said he feared the board would split on political lines with unionist members supporting Sir Ronnie and nationalists backing the Police Ombudsman, Ms O'Loan. Mr Gallagher wanted the matter to be addressed in "a civilised manner".
The families met Sir Ronnie last Thursday to discuss the Omagh bomb investigation. Afterwards, most expressed grave dissatisfaction with his account.
There has been speculation that some of the families are considering withdrawing their support from the investigation. Mr Kevin Skelton, whose wife Philomena was killed, has again called for a public inquiry. However, DUP Assembly member Mr Oliver Gibson, who was an uncle of Esther Gibson, said he did not think a public inquiry would settle the matter. It would not bring those who carried out the bombing to justice.
The Sinn Féin president, Mr Gerry Adams, has said he agrees in principle with the Omagh bombers being brought to justice. On BBC Radio Ulster's Inside Politics, he said he did not have a problem with those who planned and carried out the attack being brought to justice.
Asked if he would support the passing on of information, he said: "People will make their own judgment on this. Many people will see this as a moral issue. The very fact that that part of this investigation had to look at the destruction or loss of hundreds or perhaps thousands of witness statements shows that people are coming forward."
He said there were concerns about how police handled information about the bombing. The episode highlighted the need for a "decent and proper policing service".