By Alan Healy
Deputy Editor

THE Secretary of State is to meet with the Bloody Sunday relatives in Derry today to finalise arrangements ahead of the publication of the Saville Report in three weeks.
The Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness and Foyle SDLP MP MLA Mark Durkan will also be in attendance at the meeting, where Owen Patterson will discuss measures being put in place for Tuesday, June 15.
It comes after Mr. Paterson confirmed the publication date in a ministerial statement yesterday, where he revealed that both the families and the soldiers directly involved will be given the opportunity to see the report privately and be briefed by their lawyers before its publication.
The report will be published at 3.30pm, after representatives from both the families and the wounded have been granted a five hour advanced sight.
Lawyers representing the families will be the first to see the report into the Inquiry at 8am that morning.
Thirteen people died after paratroopers opened fire during a civil rights march in the Bogside on January 30, 1972.
Another person died of his injuries some time later.
The inquiry by Lord Saville opened at the Guildhall in 1998 and heard evidence from more than 900 people before finishing in 2004
The report had initially been due for publication the following year.
Welcoming the news, Tony Doherty, whose father Patrick was murdered on Bloody Sunday said the confirmation of the publication date was a ‘relief’ to the families and wounded.
“The confirmation of the date has taken all the uncertainty out of the equation for the families and the wounded,” he said.
“Of course we have no clue about the content at the report, but we’re relieved at the confirmation and we’ll be now readying ourselves over the next two weeks for the publication.”
He added: “This is about setting the record straight and ensuring that responsibility for the atrocity of Bloody Sunday is attributed to those responsible for the killings.
“This is also about exposing the lies of the Widgery Tribunal and establishing the full truth, a truth that we have for too long been denied.”
The Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness welcomed the announcement.
“The families of those murdered on Bloody Sunday have fought a long and difficult campaign for the truth about the events in Derry 38 years ago,” he said.
“The lies of Widgery need to be exposed and buried and the truth of what happened when the British parachute regiment came to Derry and murdered 14 people on our street needs to be told.”
Meanwhile, Foyle SDLP MP Mark Durkan added: ““I want to welcome the fact that the Secretary of State Owen Paterson will be meeting directly with family representatives to confirm the arrangements for them on the day of the publication.
“I also want to acknowledge the consideration which the previous Secretary of State Shaun Woodward afforded to the families in preparations for publication.
“The Saville report will not just be of great import to the families of the dead and injured on Bloody Sunday but also for the whole city of Derry and the wider country.”