Gardaí will be allowed testify in legal proceedings being taken by the families of victims of the Omagh bombing if legal obstacles can be overcome, the Minister for Justice, Mr Michael McDowell confirmed this afternoon.
Following a meeting with Mr Jason McCue, solicitor for the Omagh Victims' Civil Action Group (OVCAG), the Minister also said the State would "provide any relevant evidence that we can" in relation to the civil proceedings being taken against five men relatives believe orchestrated the 1998 bombing.
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Mr Jason McCue, solicitor for the Omagh Victims' Civil Action Group, outside the Department of Justice in Dublin this afternoon
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However Mr McDowell said any assistance was "subject to the advice of the Attorney General".
Mr McCue said he was "delighted" at the State's willingness to help but stressed "a number of legal obstacles need to be overcome".
"There are difficulties that we are all aware of [but] I think its good news for the families ... the Minister and his team have listened and I think we're on the way forward now," Mr Cue said.
He refused to discuss the specifics of the assistance being sought but said it involved "getting evidence before the court in Belfast and the co-operation of the Irish State through various bodies".
"We talked about a willingness and from there we will work on how we do it," Mr McCue added.
He said the issue of funding was not discussed and that a decision on legal aid from the Northern authorities was due in November. The British government recently gave £800,000 sterling to fund the action, which is expected to cost £2 million.
OVCAG has served writs on five people they believe were involved in the bombing on August 15th 1998.
Three of them - Michael McKevitt, Liam Campbell and Colm Murphy - are currently serving prison sentences in Portlaoise. The other two, Mr Seamus McKenna (49), and 33-year-old Mr Seamus Daly are living in Co Louth.