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2010 Irish Lights Calendar October 19 2009 The 2010 Irish Lights calendar is now available. This calendar features photographs commemorating the various branches of the Lighthouse Service over the past 200 years. Draft Marine AtoN Strategy - 2025 and Beyond October 14 2009 2025 and Beyond is the United Kingdom and Ireland's marine aids to navigation (AtoN) strategy. It has been prepared by the General Lighthouse Authorities (GLAs) of Trinity House, Northern Lighthouse Board and Irish Lights for their users, partners and stakeholders. New Mizen Bridge! October 02 2009 Welcome boost for Mizen Head Tourism! A contract for the construction of a new bridge to the Mizen Head Lighthouse has been signed and work will start right away with the new bridge ready for next summer's tourist season. Minister Dempsey announces that the Light Dues rate from 1st August 2009 to 31st March 2010, has been increased from 52 to 57 cents August 06 2009 Minister Dempsey announces that the Light Dues rate from 1st August 2009 to 31st March 2010, has been increased from 52 to 57 cents per ton and the maximum number of voyages to be levied has been increased from 7 to 9 in any one year. The tonnage cap remains at 35,000 NRT. Please click here to see SI 297 of 2009 - MERCHANT SHIPPING (LIGHT DUES) ORDER 2009 |
                   
| The Future "The distinction between the provision of aids to navigation for the land, sea and air transport sectors will become increasingly blurred over the next 25 years. Any cost recovery formula must have regard to common factors linking the costs of providing services in these sectors." This conclusion drawn from the important study: Marine Aids to Navigation into the 21st. Century, published in November 1995, has important implications for the long term future of Lights Services. The fact that the study in question is a joint view formulated by the General Lighthouse Authorities for the United Kingdom and Ireland, of which the Commissioners of Irish Lights is one, shows that Irish Lights is under no illusions that great changes are imminent. In addition to the fast pace of technological change, the control environment is also changing, as the study notes: "The European Commission is becoming increasingly influential in the aids to navigation affairs of Member States of the European Union. Development of a European radionavigation plan and the Commission's initiatives on Vessel Reporting Systems are likely to be of fundamental importance." 
Rathlin West It is against this background that the study recognises the need for change. "Advances in technology, including satellite radionavigation, now make available enhanced position fixing accuracy. The speed of some vessels is increasing and there is a greater enviromnental awareness of the risk of pollution. Changing user requirements for radionavigation systems covering all phases of the voyage, mean that decisions now need to be formulated in order to best ensure the provision of reliable and economic aids for safe navigation for the foreseeable future." Operational requirements Recognising these requirements, the General Lighthouse Authorities set out desired operational requirements to the year 2015 that cover each phase of a voyage. "After consultation with marine users, the GLA's have carefully considered accuracy requirements and concluded that these should be as follows: Ocean Phase (50~-200 nautical miles) + or - 0.25 nautical miles Coastal Phase (up to 50 n miles) + or - 100 metres Harbours, Harbour Approaches and Routing Schemes + or - 10 metres. To achieve these operational requirements the study recommends the provision of Visual Aids, Loran-C, GPS and Differential GPS systems. Loran-C is recommended to give the necessary terrestrial back-up to GPS capable of giving operational accuracies of + or - 0.25 nautical miles and + or - 100 metres. GPS gives an accuracy of + or - 100 metres while Differential GPS can provide accuracies of better than 10 metres. Recommending the continuation of the provision of traditional aids to navigation for the next 25 years and probably beyond, the study calls for the provision of an unencrypted and freely available DGPS service by 1996/97 and the adoption of Loran-C at the same time. It further recommends the withdrawal of the UK Decca Navigation System in 1999 and the closure of the present radiobeacon service by the year 2000 or sooner. Finally the General Lighthouse Authorities call for encouragement for the development of a civil satellite system for 2015 onwards and a strategy for the international provision of such a system. The benefits "Improvements can be achieved both in safety and efficiency for the user and provider alike if the initiative is grasped now to properly plan and implement a total aids to navigation system which will enable the mariner to fix his position at all times, to the appropriate degree of accuracy, now and in the future," the study states. "The GLA's proposals for new radionavigation system would result in a substantial cash saving for the General Lighthouse Fund in the order of Stg£32 million over the next 20 years. Those who pay light dues will benefit although some users may need to re-equip their vessels. The cost of equipment to receive signals for new radionavigation systems has already fallen significantly and competition is likely to result in further reductions if an agreed and definitive radionavigation plan is adopted for the future," the General Lighthouse Authorities conclude. |