HL Deb 01 February 2005 vol 669 cc34-5WA
Lord Rogan

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Davies of Oldham on 21 December 2004 (WA 153), what proportion of the cost of maintaining aids to navigation in Irish territorial waters they contributed and how much was contributed by the Irish government in each of the years 1984–85 to 2003–04. [HL857]

Lord Davies of Oldham

The UK Government make no contribution to the cost of maintaining aids to navigation in Irish territorial waters. The contribution from the Irish Government is set out below.

Year Total cost: all of Ireland Million £ sterling Cost contributed by Irish Government Million £ sterling Percentage contributed by Irish Government Percentage
1984–85 8.40 0.00 0.0
1985–86 9.18 1.07 11.7
1986–87 10.77 1.18 10.9
1987–88 10.25 1.21 11.8
1988–89 10.06 1.73 17.2
1989–90 10.81 2.08 19.3
1990–91 11.50 2.21 19.2
1991–92 11.78 2.50 21.2
1992–93 12.80 2.32 18.1
1993–94 12.16 2.03 16.7
1994–95 11.48 1.86 16.2
1995–96 11.92 2.06 17.3
1996–97 11.76 2.07 17.6
1997–98 10.34 1.64 15.9
1998–99 10.29 1.59 15.5
1999–2000 10.15 1.16 11.5
2000–01 11.00 1.59 14.5
2001–02 11.03 1.99 18.1
2002–03 11.79 2.20 18.7
2003–04 13.30 2.85 21.4

Under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995, the UK Government have a statutory responsibility to fund the Commissioners of Irish Lights, the General Lighthouse Authority (GLA) that provides aids to navigation in the Republic of Ireland and in Northern Ireland. The GLAs are funded from the collection of light dues, a system of user charges levied on commercial shipping calling at UK and Republic of Ireland ports. These dues are paid into the General Lighthouse Fund for which the Secretary of State has responsibility. The UK Government do not contribute to the fund.

Since 1985 the Irish Government have made a contribution to the cost of aids in the Republic to ensure that, in combination with light dues income received in Ireland, total income from Ireland amounts to 35 per cent of the costs of providing aids to navigation around the island of Ireland as a whole. The contribution does not meet the full costs of provision. The shortfall in provision is met from the General Lighthouse Fund.