Relatives of those killed in the Omagh bombing in 1998 have said that British government plans to provide limited legal aid for them during the inquest do not go far enough.
A statement from the Northern Ireland Courts Service said that the British Lord Chancellor, Lord Irvine, had decided that the circumstances surrounding the "Real" IRA explosion on August 15th, 1998, were so exceptional he would offer public funding to ensure the relatives of the victims could secure legal representation. The statement added that legal aid was not provided for coroner's court proceedings in Northern Ireland.
Relatives, however, objected to the fact that the aid would only be available to those who would normally qualify for legal aid in civil proceedings.
Mr Michael Gallagher, whose son, Adrian, was among those killed, welcomed the announcement but insisted all families should be entitled to legal aid.
"It is a limited concession," he said. "It only applies to those who are entitled to legal aid. We feel it should be extended to everybody. Imagine the costs involved for the families not entitled to assistance. Costs to hire lawyers could amount to between £300 and £500 a day, and that could mean a huge sum over a period of three to four weeks."
He said the families would be "at a low ebb, and some will find the environment of a coroner's court intimidating".
"This announcement is good news but limited good news. The bombers did not discriminate so why, in these circumstances, should the government?" he asked.
A spokeswoman for the Northern Ireland Courts Service could not respond to Mr Gallagher's criticisms other than to reiterate the earlier statement.
The inquest is scheduled to begin in Omagh on September 6th and is expected to last for four weeks. Mr David Lock, the Northern Ireland Office minister responsible for courts, has written to each of the victims' families, including those living in England, Spain and the Republic, to inform them of the decision.