It will cost almost €1 million to raise two fishing trawlers that sank off the Co Wexford coast with the loss of seven lives, it was revealed today.
The salvage of the Pere Charlesand the Maggie Bis expected to take place this month off Co Wexford, and the wrecks will be taken to Arklow for inspection by the Marine Casualty Investigation Board.
Irish Diving Contractors, based in Lusk, Co Dublin, won the €960,000 Department of Transport contract ahead of two other bidders. The contract also includes the disposal of the vessels.
The Pere Charles, which went down off Hook Head in Co Wexford in January, took the lives of skipper Tom Hennessy and his uncle, Pat Hennessy, as well as local fishermen Billy O'Connor, Pat Coady and Ukrainian national Andriy Dyrin.
Co Cork crewman Glynn Cott and his Polish colleague, Jan Sankowski, died when the Maggie Balso sank off Hook Head in March 2006.
The families of the victims have lobbied the Government to have the boats raised and have collected thousands of names in petitions. They believe the remains of their loved ones or their personal belongings will be found on the wrecks.
Last year, the Rising Sunlobster boat, which sank off the Saltee islands, Co Wexford, in late 2005, was salvaged at a cost of €435,000 to the State. No bodies were found on the vessel, which was lifted by a private contractor.