Sinn Féin is holding to its position that it will not encourage republicans to provide information to either the Garda Siochána or the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) on who was responsible for the Omagh bombing four years ago.
On the fourth anniversary of the explosion the Sinn Féin chairman, Mr Mitchel McLaughlin, yesterday said he wanted to be as sensitive to the Omagh families as possible but he repeated that he could not advise republicans to assist the police with their inquiries into the Omagh bombing, on either side of the Border.
He was responding to comments in The Irish Times by the Omagh Victims' Group spokesman, Mr Michael Gallagher, that such a stance was denying justice to the Omagh families. Mr Gallagher also said that if republicans could not go to the PSNI then they should provide information to the Garda, particularly as those responsible organised the attack from the Republic.
Mr McLaughlin said he had "a very strong empathy with the Omagh families and their quest for justice" and did not want to create any additional pain for them.
"But we as a political party have to deal with the reality of the continued existence of the (PSNI) Special Branch who were responsible for so much of the death and pain visited upon the nationalist community through their direct collusion and manipulation and control of the loyalist death squads," he said.
In relation to the Garda, Mr McLaughlin said he recognised the force "as the police service of the South - I have no difficulty about that".
He added, however: "The reality is that the information that the gardaí come on is passed directly to the PSNI and the Special Branch. It is in the hands of those who in the past have used such information to set up loyalist assassination campaigns. That's the difficulty."
It should also be taken into account that two of the Omagh families had their own problems with the PSNI and were taking a case against the force and the British government for allegedly not doing enough to prevent the attack which killed 29 men, women and children and unborn twin girls, he said.
He added that Sinn Féin was "not stopping anyone" providing information to the police but because of the PSNI Special Branch involvement Sinn Féin could not urge republicans to assist the inquiry.
When asked if when Sinn Féin finally signed up the new policing arrangements would it urge public support for the inquiry he replied, "I think if the policing issue is resolved then the question does not arise for Sinn Féin or anyone else because we will be part of the Policing Board. We will be part of the policing solution."
When it was put to Mr McLaughlin that this did not clarify whether Sinn Féin would, with the resolution of the policing issue, urge republicans to assist the police in regard to Omagh, he concluded, "I have answered your question."
Earlier at the press conference Sinn Féin complained of orchestrated UDA targeting of Catholics in Antrim. A Sinn Féin councillor for the town, Mr Martin Meehan, said nearly 50 Catholics families had been forced from their homes since May.
He called for the creation of a local civic forum, comprised of politicians, community, church, trade union and other representatives to tackle the issue.
However, he said that personally he would have difficulty in co-operating with the PSNI in tackling the problem.
Mr McLaughlin said the issue of policing was causing difficulties when such matters arose due to a legacy of history and politics. The party had a view on the Special Branch and other matters but was confident that ultimately Sinn Féin would be fully part of the policing system.
"All I can do is give a total commitment that Sinn Féin will resolve this and that we will be part of policing, and at that point that won't even be a question for press conferences," he added.
Meanwhile, the North's Minister of Security, Mr Des Browne, told the Peace is Tough conference in Derry yesterday that those who planted the Omagh bomb "tried to destroy the future".
He said that despite the many difficulties, setbacks and tensions Northern Ireland had progressed an enormous distance under the Belfast Agreement, and there was no "sensible alternative" other than to press on with the further implementation of the deal.
The SDLP junior minister, Mr Denis Haughey, told the conference: "Those of us charged with political leadership, and indeed all of us in society, have a fundamental duty to ensure that those who suffered most as a result of conflicts are not denied the benefits of peace."
Mr James Leslie, his Ulster Unionist Party junior ministerial colleague, said that while there were pressures on the agreement, with a collective effort they could be resolved. "Hurdles on the path to peace are inevitable and in Northern Ireland we can reflect on a number of issues which have been faced up to and overcome through a collective will to see peace succeed," he said.
