Relatives of the Omagh bomb victims have welcomed a High Court judge's pledge to start their multi-million pound civil action against those they believe responsible for the Real IRA atrocity on schedule.
At the High Court in Belfast today, Mr Justice Morgan made clear he was anxious there was no slippage from the April 7th date he has set.
Families of the 29 victims and those who were injured have mounted a £14 million claim against those they believe responsible.
Following the acquittal last month of South Armagh man Sean Hoey on all charges relating to the August 1998 bombing and other Real IRA attacks they see it as their only chance to see someone held to account.
Mr Hoey is not among the five men they started the legal proceedings against seven years ago.
During a brief pre-trial hearing the judge set a series of deadlines for legal teams preparing for the case.
He told them: "I am anxious to set a timetable to ensure the case proceeds on 7th April."
Michael Gallagher, whose 21-year-old son Aidan died in the bombing, was in court and said afterwards: "There is definitely movement, that is what the families need. There has been dragging of feet for far too long."
The case is expected to last between four and eight weeks, and Mr Gallagher said: "We would like to have this resolved by the 10th anniversary."
While the action is being taken privately by the families, former Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy committed the Government to providing £800,000 towards the estimated £1.5 million the families raised to fight the case.
Seamus Daly, Seamus McKenna, Michael McKevitt, Liam Campbell and Colm Murphy have all engaged lawyers to defend the action.
The British government tonight offered full state protection to any witnesses who come forward for a future Omagh bombing trial.
British secretary of state Shaun Woodward said today: "There are people out there who know who did this.
"If people can feel the courage to come forward we will put every means at their disposal to protect them as witnesses. We can still bring people to justice for Omagh."