SAMPLES of oil recovered from last weekend's spillage in Dublin Bay have been kept in the hope that the identification of the polluter can be ascertained. The Minister of State for the Marine, Mr Eamon Gilmore, said he was doing "everything possible to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice".

The Minister was responding, in an adjournment debate, to Mr Eoin Ryan, Fianna Fail spokesman on ecology and urban renewal, who said the incident was a calamity for the habitats, wildlife and ecosystems affected.

The response to the spill was totally inadequate. There was no co ordinated interagency response. Voluntary organisations working on tiny budgets bore the brunt of the rescue operation, and they should be reimbursed.