Mr. Con Hayes:

It means a hell of a lot because it was a remarkable development. When we first contacted Mr. Bemis, we only hoped that he would gift us some artefacts from the wreck. We were not sure how we would react. We were not aware at all that he had not had a great relationship with the State in the preceding years for various reasons that we do not need to go into now, but we became aware that their relationship was not as good as it should have been. It has improved, though, and he has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Minister, Deputy Madigan. I was with him when he signed it this year. I believe they both view that as progress.

We see the Lusitaniaas potentially having as much impact on the south coast's maritime history and culture as the Titanichas had on Belfast's. I do not mean in terms of the numbers of people visiting, as we on the Old Head do not need to be overwhelmed. Rather, we want something that is sustainable for the area.

Signing over the wreck is a magnificent gesture on Mr. Bemis's part. Effectively, he is gifting it to the Irish people through us. It is a remarkable bit of heritage and history to which the State should pay particular attention. There is a time limit. The ship is deteriorating rapidly. If artefacts are to be recovered and displayed, it needs to be done within a reasonable timeframe. It does not have to be done tomorrow or the day after. There are many recoverable artefacts on the Lusitaniathat are easy to access. There is other material that we would like but that might be more difficult to access. There is also a significant amount of Lusitaniamaterial scattered across the globe. We have already received offers from people. For example, Lusitaniarelatives are offering us their Lusitaniamemorabilia because of what we are doing on the Old Head. We want to be a centre and to pull back as much Lusitania material as it is possible for us to acquire either by loan or gift. We will not be able to buy it. We are regularly in touch with the Lusitaniarelatives. They know what we are doing. We will involve them in the design process.

We are chuffed to say the least that Mr. Bemis decided to do this. We never thought it would happen. It was not our plan, but it has happened.