Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will extend the timeframe for the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) to include the Omagh bombing to enable the ICRIR to consider issues within the Republic of Ireland.

The Government does not intend to expand the temporal scope of the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery. Criminal matters relating to conduct which took place in Northern Ireland after 10 April 1998 remain the responsibility of the PSNI.

The Omagh bombing is the subject of an independent inquiry established by the UK Government, chaired by Lord Turnbull. The Memorandum of Understanding between the Irish Government and the Inquiry on cross-jurisdictional information sharing, and the Irish Government’s commitment to facilitate the giving of oral evidence, are important steps.

The Government continues to work intensively with the Irish Government to reach an agreement on a joint-approach to legacy and information sharing, which is vital if we are to achieve better outcomes for victims and survivors.