#dublinbay- A unusual caller to Dun Laoghaire Harbour is a Faroese Islands flagged research survey vessel that is docked in the port due to berth capacity restrictions in neighbouring Dublin Port, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The 55m RSV Franklin which is listed on the Faroese International Ship Register, had arrived to the harbour just over a week ago having berthed alongside Carlisle Pier. There are currently 92 vessels owned on the islands which are a self-governing archipelago that form part of the Kingdom of Denmark.

This is not the first time ships in Dublin Port have been forced to use a berth in Dun Laoghaire Harbour as most recently, the Dutch flagged dredger Freeway as Afloat reported made a request late last year to enter the port and avail of a berth. 

It was ironic that the trailing suction dredger which was carrying out works on behalf of Dublin Port had to spend a lay-over period in Dun Laoghaire Harbour. On that occasion during late December and into the New Year, the 92m vessel had also occupied Carlisle Pier due to the limited capacity available in the capital port.

As also previously reported on Afloat, last month Dublin Port announced that due to rising freight volumes and the need to create space due to Brexit, prioritisation of freight over tourism is to take place. The decision by Dublin Port to curtail cruiseships in using its facilities from 2021 has raised concerns among the wider Irish tourism industry.

In addition the proposed cruise-berth for Dun Laoghaire unveiled almost four years ago, is among a trio of multi-million euro projects that have been thrown into question by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council which cited both lack of funds and viability.

The south Dublin Bay harbour was under the control of Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company until a transfer took place last year to the local authority.

Since Stena Line withdrew the HSS fastferry service to Holyhead, Wales in 2014, the port has no major anchor tennant. It was 25 years ago that the operator chartered in another Faroese-flagged vessel Smyril Line's ferry Norröna (built 1973) which was a highly unusual move, given historically other ferries would of been pooled from Stena's extensive fleet. 

The only vessels currently calling to the harbour on a year-round basis is the fleet of the Naval Service and ILV Granuaile, the aids to navigation tender belonging to Irish Lights which has its headquarters located on the harbour waterfront. 

As for the 1,178 tonne RSV Franklin which is expected to depart the harbour by the end of this week.

A public meeting on the future on Dun Laoghaire Harbour will take place at the Dun Laoghaire Club on Eblana Avenue from 8pm on Thursday 28 February.

‘The People’s Harbour’ was also the topic of a recent meeting between Dun Laoghiare-Rathdown councillors from Sinn Féin, Labour, People Before Profit and local independent Michael Merrigan.

The latter tabled a question at the 21 January meeting of the Dun Laoghaire Area Committee regarding contingency planning in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

“Residents have been contacting me with their concerns that in the event of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council being requested by the Government to make Dun Laoghaire Harbour available for ferry services, that we could have a return to big lorries coming through the town,” Cllr Merrigan commented earlier this month.

Dún Laoghaire - "The People's Harbour" - Public Meeting on the Future of the Harbour - Thursday 28th February 2019 at 20.00hrs, Dún Laoghaire Club, 3, Eblana Avenue, Dún Laoghaire. The Harbour was transferred to @dlrcc on 3 Oct. 2018. @DLRTourism @DublinGazette #PeoplesHarbour pic.twitter.com/d9VQo2h5dy

— Michael Merrigan ???? (@VoteMerrigan) February 12, 2019

Dun Laoghaire will get a new 'boat engine showroom' if planning permission is granted at a West Pier site in the Harbour.

According to a planning application received by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, applicant Pod Marine Ltd is seeking planning permission and retention permission for the development of a site at West Pier Road, Dun Laoghaire at an area known locally as 'The Gut'.

The application seeks permission for the proposed construction of a single story building (c 345sqm) for a boat engine showroom, storage and workshop at ground level and office space at mezzanine level.

According to its website, POD Marine was "established in response to the growing demand for a specialised and professional boat engine maintenance service in Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, Ireland’s largest marina. POD Marine has Volvo Penta’s seal of approval as Dublin’s only authorised Volvo Penta Service Dealer for Marine Leisure & Commercial Products".

More on the planning application on this link here

Speculation that a ferry service could return to Dun Laoghaire has reached fever pitch with the news that a British company has put in a bid to operate from the St Michael’s Pier terminal.

According to The Times, the Liverpool & North Wales Steamship Company, which was restarted two years ago, envisages running regular passenger cruises in the Irish Sea and will be “ready to sail” from next summer.

The ferry company’s chief executive Steve Payne plans to present his pitch to Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council — the authority that now controls the harbour — by the end of this year, laying out plans for services that could employ 240 people.

Payne revealed to Afloat.ie that as well as the cruise bid involving its 650-passenger vessel, it also wants to operate a regular ferry service serving its home base of Liverpool and also Llandudno in North Wales.

The company’s flagship heritage pleasure steamer TSMV Endeavour is presently in refit in Liverpool.

However, one of the investors involved in the recently scrapped Harbour Innovation Campus proposal says he intends to push on with a tech hub scheme for the former ferry terminal.

Ian Lucey currently faces a High Court action from Harbour Innovation Campus developer Philip Gannon in a case that’s understood to be separate from Gannon’s decision to pull out of the Dun Laoghaire venture last month.

Note: This piece has been corrected to remove a previous statement that Philip Gannon and Ian Lucey were business partners. The shareholder agreement clearly states that no partnership was created. We are happy to make this clarification.

#CruiseLiners - Among the cruise callers Dun Laoghaire Harbour in season 2019 is to welcome will be Norwegian Pearl and not as previously stated a sister, writes Jehan Ashmore

The sister Norwegian Jewel is the leadship of the 'Jewel' class quartet from where Norwegian Pearl became the third when completed in 2006 by Meyer Werft, Papenburg, Germany. The near 100,000 gross tonnes cruiseship operated by Norwegian Cruise Line is scheduled to call twice next year to Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

On the occasion of Norwegian Pearl's maiden call in June, this is to take place with an anchorage call offshore. The debut of the 2,300 capacity cruiseship (virtual tour) which will be the biggest caller during next season will also be a boost to the local economy.

A second opportunity for the business community and tourist interests alike is to arise as the 294m (965ft) cruiseship is to make a reappearance the following month.

To see a list including the remaining scheduled cruise calls in 2019 click here.

#DLharbour - People in Dún Laoghaire Rathdown are getting “a gift and a jewel” in the transfer of the Dún Laoghaire Harbour company to the county council, Minister for Transport Shane Ross has insisted.

As The Irish Times reports, the Minister confirmed that he had on Wednesday formally signed the transfer of the harbour company’s functions to the county council.

Mr Ross rejected claims that the company had €33 million in liabilities and insisted it was closer to €10 million which would extend over a long period of time for repairs and maintenance.

He stressed that it will not affect local property tax or local projects and the transfer included a “seven-digit cash reserve”.

The Minister was speaking during a heated Seanad debate on the company’s transfer.

“It’s a gift and a jewel being given to the people of Dún Laoghaire Rathdown,” he said. “This is a great deal for the citizens and residents.”

For more the newspaper reports here in addition Afloat this week revealed a cruiseship from Norwegian Cruise Line is to call during the 2019 season totalling six calls.

#DLHarbour - Councillors in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown have expressed anger and frustration over the transfer of Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company’s multi-million liabilities to the local authority.

Transport Minister Shane Ross was in the Seanad this afternoon for statements on the transfer of functions of the harbour company to Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council (DLRCoCo), which was made formal today (Wednesday 3 October) after he signed off on the move last week.

DLRCoCo later held a Special Meeting to debate the transfer, at which Councillor Cormac Devlin said the debt “will have a significant impact on future council budgets and may lead to reduced services and increases in commercial rates and the Local Property Tax.

“The chief executive of the council confirmed to members that the figure of €33m may actually be at the lower end of the scale of liabilities. This directly contradicts Minister Shane Ross’ claim to the Seanad that the debt is only €10m.”

Cllr Devlin called on the Government to “find a way to indemnify the council to ensure residents and business owners do not suffer for their policies.”

Councillor Dónal Smith was even more vociferous, branding Minister Ross’ lack of a promise of indemnity as “a kick in the teeth for the people who elected him. He has hung a financial albatross around the necks of his constituents. He will not be thanked.”

Cllr Smith said suggestions that the council sell public lands earmarked for housing to pay down the harbour’s debts amount to “a scandal”.

“If Fine Gael gives a toss about the residents and ratepayers of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, their Government will indemnify the council,” he added.

Update on Thursday 4 October:  The full Special Meeting can be streamed in full from DLRCoCo's webcast player HERE.

#CruiseLiners - Afloat can reveal Dun Laoghaire Harbour's cruiseship caller list in season 2019 is scheduled to be as twice as busy compared to this year's total of just three calls, writes Jehan Ashmore.

In what will also make next season different, asides doubling cruise calls to six, is the return of an anchorage caller offshore of the port, in this case the giant Norwegian Jewel. This is due to the cruiseship's deep draft that cannot be accommodated inside the south Dublin Bay harbour.

The cruiseship will be a boost to the local economy as the 2,300 passenger capacity vessel is to make a debut in June and a second call the following month. The season's other four cruise calls however accounts overall for less than the total of 8 calls achieved in 2017. 

At almost 100,000 gross tonnage, the Norwegian Cruise Line operated vessel is the leadship of the cruiseship's namesake 'Jewel' class completed in 2005. A refurbishment took place four years ago.  

The call of the NCL ship is new in the context of the concerted effort by Dun Loaghaire Harbour Company in recent years to bring back cruiseships that began in 2011. However, NCL did deploy Norway, the distinctive twin funnelled (former classic liner, France) which was recalled with much personal interest when two offshore calls took place during the 1990's. The anchorage visit was also noted given the use of the cruiseship's pair of particulary large tender craft that were lowered by cranes from the fo'c'sle i.e. in front of the bridge above the bow.

As for the Norwegian Jewel's tenders they will too have to shuttle back and forth from the near 300m long ship in stark contrast to this season when a pair of much smaller sized ships arrived within the harbour. Star Pride and slightly larger capacity sister, Star Breeze, just shy of 10,000 tonnes and 133m in length docked at Carlisle Pier with around 200 passengers.

The Windstar Cruises operated pair of mega-yacht luxury boutique style cruiseships will return to Dun Laoghaire Harbour in 2019. Star Pride with a crew of around 150, launches the season again with a call in June and is to be repeated following the debut call of Norwegian Jewel. Whereas, Star Breeze is to make an appearance likewise of this year, with two successive visits in the month of September.

#DLHarbour - Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown county councillors have suggested a potential increase in Local Property Tax to help offset Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company’s multi-million-euro liabilities, now that the harbour has been officially transferred to local authority control.

Cllr Barry Ward tweeted late last night (Wednesday 26 September) that Transport Minister Shane Ross had signed over responsibility for Dun Laoghaire Harbour “with no financial provision for the estimated €33.5 million debt now imposed on his own constituents, despite repeated calls for fairness from councillors.

“[Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown] cannot sustain this level of financial liability,” he added.

Minister @Shane_RossTD has tonight signed @DLHarbour over to @dlrcc with no financial provision for the estimated €33.5 million debt now imposed on his own constituents, despite repeated calls for fairness from councillors. DLR cannot sustain this level of financial liability. pic.twitter.com/DYENREpcv8

— Barry Ward (@barrymward) September 26, 2018

A slew of projects and developments in the Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown area — from Stillorgan Library to Glenalbyn Swimming Pool to the Marlay Park Masterplan — are now “all in jeopardy”, according to local councillor Barry Saul.

Glenalbyn Pool , Stillorgan Library , Marley running track , Fernhill Phase 2, Marley Park Masterplan all in jeopardy following Minister Ross decision to sign over DL Harbour and 33 million liabilities to Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Council pic.twitter.com/H1DDwI5J9E

— Barry Saul (@cllrbarrysaul) September 26, 2018

Cllr Lynsey McGovern added that “we can kiss goodbye to keeping commercial rates and property tax down now,” while Cllr Jim Gildea said even a 30% increase in LPT “would only give us €15m. I for one couldn’t vote to hoist that burden on our householders”.

Minister Ross confirmed back in April this year that “all assets and liabilities” of Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company would transfer to the local authority upon the former’s dissolution — and made clear that National Ports Policy does not provide for Exchequer funding “for any port company”.

The transfer of liabilities was branded as “unacceptable” at the time by local Green Party councillor Ossian Smyth.

Independent Senator Victor Boyhan was set to raise the issue of the harbour transfer and its financial implications for DLRCoCo in the Seanad this morning, as previously reported on Afloat.ie.

Update Friday 28 September: Cllr Barry Ward tweeted confirmation that Dun Laoghaire Harbour will come under control of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council next Wednesday 3 October.

Fine Gael councillors have called for a special meeting on the issue on the same day at 5pm. An invitation will be extended to Transport Minister Shane Ross.

The transfer order for @DLHarbour has been signed by Minister @Shane_RossTD. #DúnLaoghaire #Harbour will now come under the controll of @dlrcc on Wednesday next, 3 October. The Council was informed by letter yesterday. pic.twitter.com/SwGC9LLJ6c

— Barry Ward (@barrymward) September 28, 2018

The transfer of Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company to Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council will be raised by Independent Senator Victor Boyhan in the Seanad today at 11am.

Boyhan who previously expressed doubts about the corporate governance of the Harbour Company is expected to claim this morning that there are serious financial implications for DLR County Council and its revenue and capital funding streams that need to be resolved in advance of the Government completing a formal transfer.

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