Efforts to raise the Pere Charles fishing trawler from the seabed are underway as salvage workers made a first dive to the wreck this afternoon.
Plans to raise the fishing boat today were threatened with delay this morning over proposed changes to how it should be retrieved.
However, following a meeting between salvage company Irish Diving Contractors (IDC) and the Irish Coastguard this morning, the operation was given the green light once again and a barge crane was sent to the salvage site off the Wexford coast.
Barry Moyles of the Department of Transport told ireland.comthe salvage rig is now in position above the wreck and an initial deep sea dive to the vessel was made at 2.30pm today.
The Pere Charlesis lying upside-down on the seabed, and original plans were to turn it on its side and raise it that way to ensure any human remains inside it stayed contained in the vessel.
But IDC, which successfully raised the Maggie Byesterday, proposed last night to raise the vessel upside-down provoking a delay in retrieval attempts which were due to commence at daylight today.
Director of the Irish Coastguard Chris Reynolds said: "Our concerns have got to do with securing the best interests of the family - ensuring that whatever is inside the vessel remains inside the vessel."
The Pere Charleswas lost in stormy weather off Hook Head on January 10th with the loss of five fishermen.