Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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128. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status and nature of funding to the Commissioners of Irish Lights; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4770/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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In 2010, the then UK shipping Minister and the then Irish Transport Minister agreed that the Commissioners of Irish Light’s (CIL) operations in Ireland (IRL) would be fully funded from Irish sources by 31 March 2015, with CIL operations in Northern Ireland continuing to be funded by UK ‘Light Dues’.

Prior to this, CIL was funded entirely from the General Lighthouse Fund (GLF), an overarching fund for the lighthouse authorities of Ireland (Commissioners of Irish Lights), England Wales (Trinity House) and Scotland (Northern Lights Board) overseen by the Department for Transport (DfT) in the UK.

The funding agreement has been updated twice since then.

The current funding agreement in place between the Department and the DfT was signed in 2019.

The ratio of funding is broadly based on CIL's operations in Ireland (85%) and Northern Ireland (15%). The 85% funding from Irish sources is comprised of all ‘Light Dues’ collected from Irish ports and direct Exchequer funding from the Department’s vote.

There are four specific sources of funding for CIL:

1. 'Light Dues' collected from commercial ships arriving at Irish ports. These 'Light Dues' are collected by the Revenue Commissioners on behalf of the CIL. In 2024, this figure was €7.6m.

2. Direct exchequer funding from the Department of Transport. In 2024, this figure was €8.1m in total (€7.3m ‘current’, €0.8m ‘capital’).

3. A contribution from the General Lighthouse Fund (GLF) for Northern Ireland, which in turn is funded from light dues collected in the UK. In 2024, this figure was €2.8m.

4. Funds generated by Irish Lights commercial activities. In 2024, this figure was €1.7m.

Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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129. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will consider changing the makeup of the Commissioners of Irish Lights to end the exclusive right of Dublin City Council to appoint Commissioners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4775/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The Commissioners of Irish Lights (CIL) was established in 1867 under the Dublin Port Act of 1867. This act severed the Corporation for improving the Port of Dublin and the Port of Dublin Corporation into two separate entities. The Corporation changed to the “Dublin Ports and Dock Bord” while the Port of Dublin Corporation became the “Commissioners of Irish Lights”. The Act of 1867 gave the CIL its name and it is the first use of the name.

CIL was established as a body corporate and is “owned” by its members i.e. the Commissioners themselves.

The Board of CIL has due regard for the benefits of diversity, experience and expertise and strives to achieve the right balance in its goal to provide leadership, effectiveness, accountability and sustainability to Irish Lights.

The Board consists of:

• Co-opted Commissioners.
• The Lord Mayor of the city of Dublin plus three Councillors’ of the City of Dublin (ex officio Commissioners).
• The Chief Executive in her capacity as Accounting Officer is a member of the Board with no voting rights.