Vol. 441 No. 1
50 Mr. Byrne asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the date on which a request was received by his Department from the Department of the Marine to request from the appropriate French authority further details of the French investigation into the sinking of the Orchidee; the progress to date of the investigation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The Department of the Marine first raised with my Department on 15 February 1993 the shipping accident which occurred on 22 September 1992, some 50 miles off Dunmore East in international waters, between the Irish fishing vessel Orchidee and the French fishing vessel Agena. The two Departments remain in contact on the issue.
The position is that the Minister for the Marine appointed a marine surveyor from his Department to carry out an inquiry on the Irish side. Simultaneously, the French authorities are carrying out a judicial investigation.
In the course of their investigation, the French authorities requested certain information from the Irish side. This has now been assembled and will be supplied as requested to the French authorities.
We, for our part, have also requested the French authorities to supply information to enable the Department of the Marine to complete their inquiry. Because the matter is under judicial investigation in France, it has not been possible so far for the officer conducting the inquiry in Ireland to interview the French crew members. Consideration is however being given to other procedures through which the relevant information may be obtained for the purposes of the Irish inquiry.
