Relatives of the Omagh bomb victims said yesterday they faced possible financial ruin if they could not raise more money to fund a civil action against he bomb suspects.
At the start of a four-day campaign to appeal for funds, Mr Michael Gallagher, whose son, Aidan, was killed in the bombing, said the group needed to raise another £1.5 million sterling, preferably by August, the deadline for serving writs on five people suspected of carrying out the bombing. Since the relatives launched the Omagh Victims Legal Fund 18 months ago to co-ordinate the civil action, they have raised £500,000 sterling. If additional funds are not raised and the families lose the civil action, they fear they could lose their homes because they would have to pay their own and the suspects' legal costs.
Speaking after several relatives met the Conservative spokesman on Northern Ireland, Mr Quentin Davies, at Westminster, Mr Gallagher told The Irish Times: "We are at a critical stage for this case to move forward. There are so many appeals on people and sometimes your voice gets lost in all that but it is critical to get that insurance because once the writs are served, and it is my understanding that they will be served, the other side begins incurring costs."
Raising funds for a civil action linked to terrorism was particularly difficult in Britain, explained Mr Victor Barker, whose 12-year-old son, James, was among the victims at Omagh. "Northern Ireland is a dirty word for some people and they want to disassociate themselves from it," he said. "What this campaign needs is a very high profile person. If David Beckham said he'd play in a charity match with 10 other Manchester United players, we'd have another £500,000 next week," Mr Barker said.
Mr Davies said it was "extraordinary" that while Sinn Féin had declared its commitment to peaceful and democratic politics it had failed to assist the investigation into the bombing.
The relatives will raise their concerns about the campaign when they meet the Irish Ambassador to Britain, Mr Daithí O'Ceallaigh, and the US Ambassador, Mr William Farish, in London tomorrow.