The British Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) says it is not empowered to investigate the sinking of an Irish-registered fishing vessel that had previously capsized in British waters, despite an impassioned appeal from the parish priest of the vessel's home port.
The MAIB also says it has not received any formal request to become involved in the inquiry into the loss of the Maggie B, which claimed two lives when it sank 8.6km south of Hook Head, Co Wexford, in March 2006.
One crewman survived, but skipper Glynn Cott (30), from Ballycotton, Co Cork, and Polish crew-mate, Jan Sankowski (45), died when the beam trawler got into difficulty. Their bodies have never been found.
Mr Cott's relatives want to know why the vessel sank and why it was allowed to put to sea without a full marine survey after modification.
The 17-year-old Dutch-built steel vessel had capsized off the British coast in 1993 when then registered as Gilsea. It was refurbished when it was bought into Ireland several years ago.
The vessel was eventually salvaged last November, after a long campaign by the bereaved families of both the Maggie Band the Pere Charles, the Dunmore East vessel that sank almost a year ago with the loss of five crew in the same area.
The hulls of both of these vessels were salvaged and taken to Arklow, Co Wicklow, by Irish Diving Contractors Ltd to be examined as part of the official inquiries into both incidents by the State's Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB).
Krzysztof Pawtowski, who survived without life jacket or survival suit in six degree temperatures by inflating and clinging to the boat's life raft, has already told a recent inquest that the Maggie Bsank in two minutes.
He was rescued by the Dunmore East lifeboat, and is currently taking legal proceedings against the vessel owners, the Walsh brothers of Ballycotton, Co Cork.
Ballycotton parish priest Fr Peadar O'Callaghan told The Irish Timesyesterday that the sinking and the State's response to it had caused "untold pain and grief" to the families of both Mr Cott and Mr Sankowski.
Fr O'Callaghan reiterated his call yesterday for international involvement in the official inquiry, which has been reopened following the vessel's salvage.
"This is no criticism of the State's authority, the MCIB, which I am sure has an excellent investigating team. But this vessel, when under a previous name and registry, capsized in British waters.
"When it was purchased here, it was modified yet again and was allowed to be put to sea without a full survey."
The parish priest said he believed that the bereaved families would "feel more confident in the investigation" if the MCIB was assisted by Britain's "full-time MAIB", or an international equivalent.
The families had been "devastated" by a draft MCIB report, issued to them just over a year ago, before the vessel was raised from the seabed, he said.
A spokesman for the MAIB told The Irish Timesthat the vessel's Irish registration and the fact that the incident had occurred in Irish waters meant that it was not empowered under its legislation to become involved, nor had it been requested to assist.
However, the British investigators are conducting a full inquiry into a fatal accident involving a ship in Dublin Port last year because the vessel involved, the Dublin Viking, was owned by Norfolk Line.
