One person continues to be employed at Coiste an Asgard, the body whose sole responsibility is the sunken Asgard II sailing ship.

The Department of Defence admitted last week that the organisation – despite no longer having any vessel to manage – had not yet been wound down but was no longer in receipt of exchequer funding.

Coiste an Asgard was to have been discontinued last December as part of recommendations contained in the report of An Bord Snip Nua.

However, it has emerged that the Asgard organisation has continued to operate, but in a much reduced fashion.

The Department of Defence said: "Funding for Coiste an Asgard ceased in December 2009 following the budget announcement that the national sail training scheme was being disbanded."

It had been assumed that the organisation had ceased to exist until an unauthorised dive on the wreckage of the Asgard took place earlier this month. Following the dive, in which the ship's bell, compass and wheel were recovered, Coiste an Asgard demanded that the items be returned.

"If any items have been removed from the vessel, [we] would expect the items to be returned," it said.