Britain to halt Irish lighthouse subsidy

AFTER more than 200 years, British taxpayers will no longer continue to subsidise the maintenance of lighthouses in Ireland.

The Department of Transport confirmed an agreement has been reached with Britain to sever a historic nautical link dating back to the 1786 Act of the Parliament of Ireland.

The act established the Commissioner for Irish Lights (CILs), which runs Ireland’s 80 lighthouses, and has been subsidised by the British taxpayer ever since — currently about £12 million (€13.8m) a year.

Britain’s transport minister Mike Penning admitted the lighthouses had “come to symbolise the close friendship and shared history of our nations”.

Since independence in 1922, it was considered that keeping up the subsidy was justified because so much British trade crossed the Atlantic.

A statement from Mr Penning said the CILs stated: “The Irish transport minister and I have reached an understanding that we will aim to see the Commissioners of Irish Lights self-financing by 2015-16.”

The Department of Transport in Ireland confirmed the agreement.

“This understanding will facilitate the long-term funding of the Commissioners of Irish Lights and ensure the continued co-operation of the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland in the provision of marine aids to navigation.”

For years, the funding of lighthouses has been a joint undertaking between both countries with costs mainly paid though light dues from shipping vessels coming from both jurisdictions. But lighthouses are now mainly used by leisure sailors.