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The Commissioners of Irish Lights (Irish Lights) is seeking Expressions of Interest for appointments to its Board.

The mission of Irish Lights is Safe Navigation at Sea. We are a maritime organisation delivering essential 24/7 safety and navigation services, 365 days a year. With strong working ties to our sister agencies Trinity House and Northern Lighthouse Board in the UK, Irish Lights operates on an all island basis, covering both jurisdictions, North and South.

Our current 2018-2023 strategy ‘Safe Seas – Connected Coasts’ recognises the exciting and challenging trends in the maritime sector at national and international level. With a strong focus on safety, innovation, technology and sustainability, Irish Lights plays a leadership role in the delivery of next generation navigation and maritime safety services. We are looking for experienced individuals to join our Board, to support the ongoing development of the organisation. Two appointments will be made in the first quarter of 2023, with a further two appointments later in 2023. Applicants should have Board / Senior Management experience and a specific capability in one or more of the following;

  • Financial experience and expertise – an Accountant ideally with Audit and Risk Committee interest and experience.
  • An Engineer with recent experience in Environment / Heritage / Sustainability / Planning and Consenting / Health and Safety
  • A Construction / Property Development Specialist with experience in Sustainability / Heritage / Architecture.
  • A Specialist in the field of Environment / Sustainability / ESG and /or Health and Safety.
  • A Legal Specialist, ideally with current planning and / or contractual expertise

Marine, Maritime and Navigation experience would be beneficial and is desirable but is not essential. This would include expertise or specific experience of working professionally in any sub-sector of the marine and maritime sector e.g. shipping, ports, offshore wind, fisheries, leisure, marine technology, surveying etc. or knowledge of navigation gleaned from a relevant qualification or a sailing/seafaring background (e.g. yacht master, leisure, merchant, navy).

Irish Lights values and supports diversity and equality of opportunity. Appointments are made on merit. While Board members do not receive fees, the successful appointees will gain significant exposure to and experience in a sector growing in both national and international importance.

Expressions of Interest should be submitted to [email protected] no later than the 27th January 2023. For an Expressions of Interest forms, note the attached pdf. 

Published in Lighthouses

Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI) in Ireland Information

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is a charity to save lives at sea in the waters of UK and Ireland. Funded principally by legacies and donations, the RNLI operates a fleet of lifeboats, crewed by volunteers, based at a range of coastal and inland waters stations. Working closely with UK and Ireland Coastguards, RNLI crews are available to launch at short notice to assist people and vessels in difficulties.

RNLI was founded in 1824 and is based in Poole, Dorset. The organisation raised €210m in funds in 2019, spending €200m on lifesaving activities and water safety education. RNLI also provides a beach lifeguard service in the UK and has recently developed an International drowning prevention strategy, partnering with other organisations and governments to make drowning prevention a global priority.

Irish Lifeboat Stations

There are 46 lifeboat stations on the island of Ireland, with an operational base in Swords, Co Dublin. Irish RNLI crews are tasked through a paging system instigated by the Irish Coast Guard which can task a range of rescue resources depending on the nature of the emergency.

Famous Irish Lifeboat Rescues

Irish Lifeboats have participated in many rescues, perhaps the most famous of which was the rescue of the crew of the Daunt Rock lightship off Cork Harbour by the Ballycotton lifeboat in 1936. Spending almost 50 hours at sea, the lifeboat stood by the drifting lightship until the proximity to the Daunt Rock forced the coxswain to get alongside and successfully rescue the lightship's crew.

32 Irish lifeboat crew have been lost in rescue missions, including the 15 crew of the Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire) lifeboat which capsized while attempting to rescue the crew of the SS Palme on Christmas Eve 1895.

FAQs

While the number of callouts to lifeboat stations varies from year to year, Howth Lifeboat station has aggregated more 'shouts' in recent years than other stations, averaging just over 60 a year.

Stations with an offshore lifeboat have a full-time mechanic, while some have a full-time coxswain. However, most lifeboat crews are volunteers.

There are 46 lifeboat stations on the island of Ireland

32 Irish lifeboat crew have been lost in rescue missions, including the 15 crew of the Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire) lifeboat which capsized while attempting to rescue the crew of the SS Palme on Christmas Eve 1895

In 2019, 8,941 lifeboat launches saved 342 lives across the RNLI fleet.

The Irish fleet is a mixture of inshore and all-weather (offshore) craft. The offshore lifeboats, which range from 17m to 12m in length are either moored afloat, launched down a slipway or are towed into the sea on a trailer and launched. The inshore boats are either rigid or non-rigid inflatables.

The Irish Coast Guard in the Republic of Ireland or the UK Coastguard in Northern Ireland task lifeboats when an emergency call is received, through any of the recognised systems. These include 999/112 phone calls, Mayday/PanPan calls on VHF, a signal from an emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) or distress signals.

The Irish Coast Guard is the government agency responsible for the response to, and co-ordination of, maritime accidents which require search and rescue operations. To carry out their task the Coast Guard calls on their own resources – Coast Guard units manned by volunteers and contracted helicopters, as well as "declared resources" - RNLI lifeboats and crews. While lifeboats conduct the operation, the coordination is provided by the Coast Guard.

A lifeboat coxswain (pronounced cox'n) is the skipper or master of the lifeboat.

RNLI Lifeboat crews are required to follow a particular development plan that covers a pre-agreed range of skills necessary to complete particular tasks. These skills and tasks form part of the competence-based training that is delivered both locally and at the RNLI's Lifeboat College in Poole, Dorset

 

While the RNLI is dependent on donations and legacies for funding, they also need volunteer crew and fund-raisers.

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