The Russian crew members of the MV Lillian, who have been stranded in New Ross, Co Wexford, since May 13th, are planning to fly home on Wednesday.
The Belize-registered container vessel was detained by port control inspectors after an Irish firm refused to accept its cargo of steel because it was corroded. An inspection revealed the vessel had been letting water into the cargo hold and had at least 15 structural defects.
Documents found on the vessel showed that the workers had not been paid since they boarded in April. Their rates and working conditions had also been changed.
The ship was described as "a floating sweatshop" by Siptu, an affiliate of the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF).
Last Friday Mr Justice Paul Butler recognised the crew's claim and funds of €2,800 were released to pay for the eight remaining workers to go home. Another crew member went home earlier with the help of his family in Russia.
The men are also due $96,000 (€70,347) in arrears of pay. This will be recovered by the ITF when the vessel goes for auction in New Ross next week.
When Siptu became involved in the case, the men told the union they had not eaten properly for 21 days. They then received emergency supplies from local Customs Service officers in New Ross and were later granted supplementary welfare by the Department of Social and Family Affairs.
A local Labour councillor, Martin Malone, arranged access to a local centre in New Ross where the men had free internet access to allow them to maintain contact with their families. Bus Éireann will take the men to Dublin airport free of charge on Wednesday.
Yesterday, ITF inspector Ken Fleming thanked everyone who had helped the crew in recent weeks.
"Once more we have been confronted by the ongoing scandal of ships entering Irish ports with crews operating under third world conditions," he said.
"Sooner or later, as an island nation, we will have to face up to our obligations to these workers. In the meantime ordinary Irish people, both in the community and in the State agencies, have done something to redeem us."
