Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 26 Feb 1992

Vol. 416 No. 3

Written Answers. - Mr. Kilkenny Salvage Operation.

Patrick McCartan

Question:

46 Mr. McCartan asked the Minister for the Marine the progress which has been made with regard to the salvage operation for the mv Kilkenny and the recovery of the body of the seaman which is still missing; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for the Marine (Dr. Woods)

There are two questions for answer here and I will deal with them separately.

1. Salvage Operation — The contract for wreck removal was agree and signed by B & I Line and the German salvage company, Bugsier, on 20 December 1991. The contract allowed for the wreck to be cut into three parts and each part to be removed from the sea bed and disposed of ashore. It was hoped, at the time of signing, to mobilise all the equipment in seven days and to complete the wreck removal operation in 21 working days.

The salvage equipment, tugs, cranes and barges, began arriving in Dublin from Germany on 3 January 1992 having encountered bad weather en route. The wreck removal operation was continuous from that date except when the on-site weather was so bad that the whole operation had to return to port.

The bow part and the middle part of the wreck are ashore at the North Wall and are being disposed of. The after part, that is the accommodation and engine room, will now be removed. The after part weighs an estimated 700 tonnes. It was intended to restore some of its buoyancy and float/lift it onto the removal barge but that plan is under review in the light of recent difficulties with the middle part.

2. The body of the missing seaman, Mr. Desmond Hayes — The wreck was searched by the Dún Laoghaire lifeboat crew, the Garda sub-aqua team, the fire brigade and the B & I staff.

The sea surface search was carried out by themv Leinster as commander surface search, the Dún Laoghaire and Howth lifeboats, two tugs, a pilot cutter, the motor vessels Inisheer, Speculity, Crispin, Yana, one RAF Sea King helicopter, one Irish Marine Emergency Service S6IN Sikorsky helicopter, the fishing vessel Iris, the mv Leinster rescue boat, the mv Hasselwerder's lifeboat, the Irish Lights tender, Granuaile, the Irish Air Corps helicipters and fixed wing aircraft, the LE Aoife who relieved the Leinster and assumed the role as on scene commander.

The local and adjacent beaches were searched daily by the Skerries and Dún Laoghaire coast and cliff rescue service and later by the Civil Defence and local authorities. Two bodies were recovered from the wreck. The body of Mr. Desmond Hayes is still missing.

Inquiries following the incident indicated Mr. Hayes might have been injured. He was positively seen at the ship's port side rails and one of his shipmates thought he saw him in the water. It is possible that the missing remains may be under the after part of the vessel trapped against the ship port side accommodation. I can assure this House that at all meetings between the principals and in all exchanged letters between the Irish Marine Emergency Service and the B & I the subject of the missing seaman was raised. As recently as 24 January my predecessor was assured by letter from the B & I that from day one, no debris recovered from the wreck has escaped their attention nor would it in the future. The wreck site is visited at least three times a week by a member of the Irish Marine Emergency Service.

I know that all members of Dáil Éireann join with me in expressing our concern and sympathy with the Hayes family at this time and with the other two families who have been bereaved.