Minister stands by report into sinking of Donegal trawler

The Minister for the Marine, Dr Woods, has defended the Carrickatine report and has emphasised that it was based on all available evidence.

Should any further evidence relating to the loss of the Donegal vessel with six crew on board in 1995 come to light, this would be followed up immediately, a spokesman for the Minister said. He was responding to criticism of the report by a legal representative of the relatives.

Published earlier this week, the report of the official investigation said that the cause of the accident could not be determined, but it highlighted safety inadequacies on the Greencastle-based vessel.

The Carrickatine was last heard of on November 15th, 1995, some 50 miles north of Malin Head, and its disappearance prompted an extensive search. No trace of the crew or of the ship was ever found, beyond some minor debris.

Mr Paudge Dorrian, solicitor, said that his clients would be taking the matter to Europe. He claimed that the report had not dealt adequately with certain matters, specifically the modification of the 25-year-old boat. He criticised the delay in publishing the report and said that Department officials would only meet relatives without their solicitor being present.

The relatives had been told in September 1997 - almost two years after the disappearance of the vessel - that they would receive copies in a matter of weeks, but this had not occurred. There was "only one marine surveyor for the entire west coast of Ireland", he claimed.

Questions remained in relation to the original construction of the boat, Mr Dorrian said. The relatives still did not know the details of the modification, who carried it out, or who owned the boat at the time.

A spokesman for the Minister said yesterday that the report had been carried out by a highly responsible, competent marine surveyor and was based on all available evidence, given that the vessel had not been found.

The book was not closed, however, if other evidence came to light.