Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I wish we could say the same for the people of County Louth, but they have their own bone to pick with the Meath team.

Earlier this year there was a tragic event off Glandore when five fishermen lost their lives. Michael Hayes was the skipper of the boat involved. The bodies of all five fishermen were found, which was a tremendous comfort to their families because at least their lost loved ones had a grave to go to. That was a major help in the healing process. In 2006 the Maggie B was lost. On 10 January 2007 the Pere Charles was lost outside Dunmore East. The following night the Honeydew II was lost west of Helvick Head. Nine people in total were lost on these three fishing vessels and no body has ever been recovered. Like anyone who has lost loved ones, the families live in hope that at some stage the remains will be found and that they will have a grave to which to take their loved ones.

I understand that more than two years ago some remains, including a skull, were discovered off Helvick Head and that two femur bones were discovered off Hook Head. They are believed to be the bones of a male between 25 and 30 years old. Two years ago the Garda chief superintendent in charge in Wexford, John Roche, applied for special funding to carry out a special DNA test on the bones to discover whose they were since the initials test proved inconclusive. Consideration is now being afforded by the Garda authorities to having a nuclear and mitochondrial DNA analysis conducted on the remains. My understanding is that the chief superintendent in Wexford at the time applied for funding to carry out these special tests which it was estimated would cost between €9,000 and €12,000 and were to be carried out in Wales. Regrettably, the Department of Justice and Equality did not make the money available. All of this was kept under the radar and no one knew anything about it until such time as a detective sergeant retired recently. There was a report on 3 September on "Six-one news" on the discovery of these bones off Helvick Head and Hook Head and the story became public. As a result, the families of those whose remains are lost continue to hope some of these remains might be those of one of their loved ones. Two of the people lost on the Pere Charles outside Dunmore East were members of the Hennessy family. I know the family well. There is considerable hope that they will be able to discover some part of the remains of their loved ones.

I seek an assurance from the Minister of State and the Government that, for the sake of €9,000 or €12,000 or whatever it would cost, the State will carry out these tests and that the Department will make the money available in order that we can ascertain whether the parts of a skull and the femur bones discovered have any connection with the people lost on any of the vessels mentioned. There is dreadful anxiety for loved ones when they know that remains have been found but they do not know whether they are those of their loved ones. I appeal to the Minister of State to do everything in his power to try to ensure that at least the families know whether these discoveries have anything to do with their loved ones.

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