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Statement On The Agreement Of Memorandum of Understanding On The Omagh Bombing Inquiry.
The Irish Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Chairman of the Inquiry, Lord Alan Turnbull PC, (PC Scottish lawyer, Senator of the College of Justice, and a judge of the country’s Supreme Courts), on matters relating to the disclosure of materials to the Omagh Bombing Inquiry.
On June 12th 2023, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Right Honourable Mr Chris Heaton-Harris (British former senior politician), announced that Lord Turnbull would chair the Omagh Bombing Inquiry, due to Lord Turnbull’s previous experience of working on terrorism cases.
The Irish Government authorised the signature at its meeting earlier today.
The Omagh bombing was a car bombing on August 15th 1998, which took place in the town of Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It was carried out by the Real IRA, latter a Provisional Irish Republican Army splinter group, who opposed the IRA’s ceasefire and the Good Friday Agreement/Belfast Agreement, which had been signed earlier on Good Friday, 10th April of that year.
The victims of the bombing included people of many backgrounds and ages, both Protestants and Catholics, unionists and Irish nationalists were killed, including six teenagers, six children, a woman pregnant with twins, two Spanish tourists and others visiting on a day trip from the Republic of Ireland. As a result of the bombing, new anti-terrorism laws were swiftly enacted by both the United Kingdom and Ireland.
This agreement reflects the Government’s decision, in July 2024, to assist this Inquiry to the extent that is permissible under the Irish Constitution and laws of the Irish State. The Programme for Government reiterates that commitment, stating that they will play their full part in legacy processes, including facilitating and supporting this Omagh Inquiry.
This Memorandum sets out the working arrangements that will apply between the Inquiry and the office of the Minister for Justice on the lawful disclosure of materials from Government Departments and their agencies to the Inquiry, thus assisting it in carrying out its terms of reference. It also addresses the onward disclosure of those materials and their destruction or retention at the conclusion of the work of the Inquiry.
As recorded in the Memorandum a central point of contact has been established in the Department of Justice to receive and manage all requests for materials from this Inquiry. The Minister’s Department and the Inquiry will maintain regular contact to support the operation of the Memorandum.
The Minister’s Department will also continue to engage with the Inquiry to find solutions consistent with Irish law to fulfil the Government’s commitment to assisting the Inquiry. This includes the giving of oral testimony for the purposes of the Inquiry. The Government has made it clear, that should it be necessary to bring forward legislation to support this assistance to the Inquiry, then this will be undertaken.
- In all some nine locations have been searched by Gardaí and 18 devices seized as evidence, with further arrests expected to be made soon.
Gardaí are understood to have carried out searches at locations across the island of Ireland and seized 18 devices as part of an international operation targeting the sharing and distribution of child sexual abuse material.
These nine searches were co-ordinated by the Online Child Exploitation Unit within the Garda National Protective Services Bureau and were conducted by gardai attached to Divisional Protective Services Units, with a number of arrests now expected to be made within the immediate future.
Operation FEVER, led by the Polish National Police in conjunction with Europol’s Joint Cybercrime Action Taskforce (JCAT) and 11 other member states; has led to 166 arrests to-date, across the continent of Europe, of which 111 of those individuals arrested, known have shared or distributed child sexual abuse material.
Those arrested have also been identified as having produced paedophile films and images; run paedophile online forums, and are suspected of having physically abused children.
European police services with the support of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); the National Crime Agency (NCA); the Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the US National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), have carried out more than 770 searches across Europe, seizing in excess of 594,000 files contained on more than 6,000 illegal digital media platforms.
- Commissioner to remain in office until September 1st 2025, while new successor is identified and appointed.
- Garda Board and Policing, Security and Community Safety Act (PCSA) to extend term of office.
The Irish Government, today, approved a proposal in principle to extend the term of office of Garda Commissioner Mr Drew Harris, until September 1st 2025.
The Commissioner was due to retire on June 1st 2025, however the selection competition for a successor will be ongoing at that point.
A proposal to extend his term has been approved in principle to provide certainty and stability pending the appointment of his successor. The process to extend the Garda Commissioner’s term is provided for in the recently commenced Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024.
The Government will now consult with the newly established Garda Board and Policing and Community Safety Authority, as provided for under the Act.
When this consultation is completed the Government will then make a formal decision to confirm the extension of the Commissioner’s term. Regulations providing for the new retirement date for the Commissioner will be brought to government for approval at the same time.
- Proceeds of crime invested back into local communities.
- Fund increases in size to €4 million.
The nationwide funding call for the Community Safety Fund 2025 is now open.
This annual fund allows for the proceeds of crime, seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) and An Garda Síochána, to be directed into local projects to support and enhance community safety.
This year, €4 million is available, which is double the original allocation of €2 million when the fund first opened for applications in 2022, and grants range from €20,000 to €150,000.
The call for the Community Safety Fund is open for six weeks from today Monday April 7th, before closing on Friday May 16th next.
The Community Safety Fund will be managed by the newly established National Office for Community Safety within the Department of Justice.
The Fund:
- Allows proceeds of crime to be directed into projects to support and enhance community safety
- Ensures that the most appropriate proposals to improve community safety will access the funding they need
- Allows best practice on community safety and youth justice to be shared with other partnerships and communities nationally as new proposals are developed
- Benefits from the success of An Garda Síochána and the Criminal Assets Bureau in seizing the proceeds from criminal activity.
Projects that have previously benefited from the funding supported initiatives that:
- Reduce the fear of crime; improve community safety and feelings of safety.
- Support the creation of safe and resilient communities.
- Reduce reoffending.
- Divert vulnerable individuals away from engagement in criminal behaviour.
In 2024, over €3 million was allocated to projects nationwide. Themes from 2024 successful applicants included projects aimed at addressing anti-social behaviour, domestic violence, drug-related intimidation, social exclusion, youth programmes, prison post-release support.
Many of the projects focused on education, sport, recreation, and social interaction to proactively address safety concerns in communities.
Completed application forms must be returned by 5:00pm on Friday 16th May to CommunitySafetyFund@justice.ie
Supporting documentation, including the Application Form and Guidance Document are available HERE.
All documents must be downloadable.
A former Tipperary native and financial advisor now residing at Richmond Avenue, Dartry, Dublin 6, who lost around €2 million of property investors’ funds in unauthorised stock market transactions has been jailed for six years.
Aged 52 years Mr William Kiely appeared at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court earlier this year, but changed his plea to guilty on the 21st day of his trial. He pleaded guilty to three counts of dishonestly appropriating money from the accounts of Barrington Capital Ltd, between 2007 and 2010. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that the theft involved $1.47 million and around €700,000.
Mr Kiely also pleaded guilty to knowingly carrying on the business of a company, (Barrington Capital Limited), with intent to defraud creditors between July 2008 and February 2010. He further pleaded guilty to falsifying a financial statement on March 12th, 2010.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Mr Kiely set up a legitimate investment operation, the aforementioned Barrington Capital Ltd, to purchase commercial property in the United States of America. Following the 2008 global financial crash, he failed to return all of the money which had been intended to purchase property; instead and without investor authorisation used some of it on the stock market, which was unsuccessful.
Having heard the facts of the case on Friday last, Judge Elma Sheahan stated that Mr Kiely had a high degree of culpability; the financial losses they suffered and the impact on their emotional well-being were all aggravating factors in the case and the harm caused to the injured parties was truly significant. The court heard that much of the funds went towards lifestyle expenses unrelated to the business and Kiely had also paid himself an amount each month. Mr Kiely also falsified a financial statement back in March 2010, which set out expenses on the account and what was left, however, at this point the funds were completely depleted.
Mr Kiely received a six year jail sentence and has also been automatically disqualified from serving as a director of any company for five years.
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