State defends dive restrictions on wreck

The Government department responsible for safeguarding the wreck of the Lusitania has launched a robust defence of its management of the site over the last two decades.

The Department of Arts, Heritage, and the Gaeltacht said the conditions it has imposed on dive licences issued to the wreck’s American owner, Gregg Bemis, are not “overly onerous” and should not impede his exploration work. They are designed to protect one of the world’s best-known ship wrecks, a spokesman said.

“It is also the final resting place of over 1,000 individuals who lost their lives during the tragic event of May 1915 and therefore deserves due respect as the gravesite of those unfortunate passengers,” he added.