The sole survivor of the Tit Bonhomme said he had slept for up to eight hours on the trawler’s fishing expedition in January last year, in a fresh statement that challenges the findings of the only official report conducted into the tragedy.

A “GARBLED message” just before 6am on a Sunday and lasting just over three minutes alerted Valentia marine rescue centre to the tragedy of the fishing vessel Tit Bonhomme.

There could have been at least two more survivors of the Tit Bonhomme tragedy if there had been a quicker helicopter response, the widow of its skipper Michael Hayes claimed.

Every fishing community is far more familiar with tragedy at sea than it would wish to be.

More lives could have been saved in the Tit Bonhomme fishing tragedy if the helicopter response had been quicker, the skipper’s widow believes.

The International Transport Workers’ Federation yesterday said two government departments have repeatedly failed to put in place safeguards to protect seafarers in the fishing industry from similar tragedies.

The report into the Tit Bonhomme trawler tragedy will recommend better enforcement of EU regulations governing working hours for fishermen.

The report into the Tit Bonhomme trawler tragedy is expected to focus on what roles crew fatigue and their training in emergency drills played in the disaster which claimed five lives.

The search for two fishermen who have been missing since their trawler sank off the Cork coast nearly three weeks ago is to be gradually wound down.