FINE GAEL defence spokesman Jimmy Deenihan has said there are "unanswered questions" in relation to the future of the national sail training ship Asgard II, which is lying on the seabed off the north-west French coast.
Mr Deenihan has called on Minister for Defence Willie O’Dea to explain why a salvage of the wooden brigantine is not feasible, if he is accepting a recommendation by Coiste an Asgard to leave it in the water.
Coiste an Asgard, which manages the national sail training programme on behalf of Mr O'Dea's department, has advised against a salvage. It is recommending that a replica of Asgard IIbe built of steel, on safety and cost grounds.
Mr O’Dea is due to make his decision this week, and signalled in the Dáil last week that salvage of the ship posed a “number of difficulties”.
“We must apply hard logic in making these decisions; one cannot make a decision based on emotion,” Mr O’Dea told the Dáil on February 4th.
All 25 crew and trainees were evacuated to life rafts when the ship began taking in water in the early hours of September 11th last year some 22km west of Belle-Ile en route to La Rochelle. They were picked up by French rescue services and the 27-year-old brigantine sank several hours later.
An initial survey showed that the ship was sitting upright and in good condition in some 83 metres of water. Images showed damage to one of its planks which may have been consistent with a collision with a floating object.
Mr O’Dea was urged to commission a salvage before the winter weather closed in on the Bay of Biscay. The vessel was insured for €3.8 million and it was estimated that a salvage could cost under €2 million.
Although tenders were sought from three salvage companies, no decision was taken before Christmas and a second survey was then sought by Coiste an Asgard. However, bad weather prevented use of a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to film the hull.
Coiste an Asgard now believes the insurance money would best be spent on building a steel replacement, given the cost of salvage and weather factors, along with cost of reconstruction. Some international sail training organisations prefer steel vessels for safety reasons, and because of the cost of maintaining wooden ships.
Mr Deenihan said that if the vessel was not now in good condition, this information needed to be made public. If it had been damaged, both Mr O’Dea and Coiste an Asgard were “responsible for this, through prevarication”, he said.
“This ship is a national icon, an ambassador for Ireland, and it should be salvaged unless there is evidence to suggest otherwise,” Mr Deenihan said.
Investigations into the sinking are still ongoing – by Coiste an Asgard and by the Marine Casualty Investigation Board.