Minister of State for Transport Pat "The Cope" Gallagher has agreed to meet the family of the east Cork skipper who was lost off the southeast coast earlier this year.
A spokeswoman for the Minister said a request had been received from the skipper's family about the sinking of the Maggie B. Skipper Glynn Cott (30), from Ballycotton in Cork, and Polish crew member Jan Sankowski (45) went down with the vessel five miles off the Hook Peninsula on March 29th.
Yesterday, the family and girlfriend of Mr Cott sent out a plea for help from the Government. Elaine Hayes and her sister, Sharon Cott, spoke for the first time of the tragedy. The family want to know for sure that Mr Cott's body is not on the vessel.
"We just want to have something so we can grieve," said Ms Hayes. "I just hope for a body. We go down to Wexford and just search the coastline. We are in constant pain."
Ms Cott and Ms Hayes have campaigned to find Glynn's remains. They also want answers on the condition the Maggie B was in and why it sank. They say politicians have promised their support and questions have been raised in the Dáil.
Hundreds of people have signed a petition but, says Ms Cott, the Department of Transport has failed to help.
The Minister's spokeswoman said any decision on the sunken vessel was now the responsibility of the Marine Casualty Investigation Board which is conducting an inquiry into the sinking.
If the vessel was required for the investigation, it was a matter for the board, she said.
Of the three crew on board Krzysztof Pawtowski, from Poland, was the only survivor. He said the vessel plunged to the bottom within 90 seconds - Mr Cott was last seen on the starboard side.