Work has begun today to get a full salvage operation underway at Foynes Harbour, Co Limerick, where an oil cargo vessel capsized yesterday.
But, according to spokesperson for the Department of the Marine, Mr Tony Bass, the salvage operation will take "a day or two" to organise.
Most of the oil which escaped from the 5,000-tonne French vessel,
Clipper Cheyenne
, has been contained within the harbour. A small quantity escaped onto a nearby beach, east of Foynes Harbour.
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Mr Bass told
ireland.com
today the French shipping company and the insurance company involved must appoint a salvage company to carry out the clean-up operation.
Two salvage companies have already tendered quotes for the job and the clean-up operation is expected to begin by Thursday.
Two Irish Coast Guard divers went down to the vessel last night and blocked up some of the vents which were leaking oil, Mr Bass said. But, some vents have yet to be blocked off.
"It is our responsibility to manage and contain the pollution," he said.
"We can intervene if we’re not satisfied with the situation, but we’re reluctant to do so. There is no evidence that things are going badly."
Mr Bass said last night’s operation, which also involved the laying of pipes to suck the oil from the water, was "fairly successful".
He claimed there was just a "sheen" of oil on the only beach affected by the oil leak so far.
Irish Coast Guard helicopters are making regular patrols over the area today to check for any further sheens of oil leakage, he said.
The Department of the Marine is to investigate the accident, in which none of the 15 Polish crew members were injured.
It is believed the accident happened during a ballasting operation aimed at lifting a barge aboard.