Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Experts in the area have suggested the Department and the National Museum of Ireland have jointly insisted on a best-practice archaeological approach to all diving activity relating to the Lusitania in dealings with Mr. Bemis. Beforehand, there would have been a partnership arrangement. I find it difficult to understand why a change was made to the licence conditions at the 11th hour, without the opportunity for the National Museum of Ireland to express a view on the matter. I gather that the museum is also concerned by the implications of the decision for the regulation of future operations at underwater archaeological sites. Moreover, museum officials were shocked to hear that the telegraph has now fallen to the sea bed at a depth of some 90 m and had been lost and presumably damaged or destroyed. There is a clear rupture of a relationship that had been in place in advance of all other dives. Is that not correct?