A summary of the costs of the Commissioners of Irish Lights service for year ended 31 March 2005, divided between the main operational areas, is set out below.

Running Costs
Running costs for the year totalled €18,351,000. Included in this figure are payroll costs of €10,967,000. Allowing for inflation, the real operating cost of the Service has remained relatively static since 1996-7. Over this period cost reductions have been achieved through lighthouse automation, solarisation, increased ship efficiency, and re-organisation of the engineering function, while maintaining the level of performance and reliability of aids to navigation required by mariners. Much of this cost saving has, however, been offset through increases in payroll costs in line with inflation trends in the economy.

Pensions
Pension costs for the year ended 31 March 2005 totalled €6,135,000.

Capital Expenditure
Capital expenditure in 2004-2005 totalled €2,944,000. The main projects completed during this period were re-equipping St John's Point, Donegal, and Rue Point Lighthouses. The refit of ILV Granuaile and automatic lightfloat Gannet were also completed. Work continued on replacing buoy superstructures with new aluminium buoy superstructures and solar powered systems.

Quality of Service
The performance of aids to navigation is measured by comparison with the minimum standards recommended by the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) of which Irish Lights is a member.
 

Employee Numbers
The average number of permanent employees for the year ended 31 March 2005 was: Lighthouse and Helipad Attendants and Assistants 76; Automated Lightfloat Attendant Masters 4; ILV Granuaile 31; Civil Engineering Coast Workforce 24; Dun Laoghaire offices and workshops 79; Irish Lights Office 61; making a total of 275 of which 189 were full time and 86 were part time employees. In addition, casual workers are employed around the coast on a day to day basis as required.

Light dues
Light dues collected in year ended 31 March 2005 from vessels in ports in the Republic of Ireland amounted to €4,489,000, down 9.3% on the previous year. Light dues collected in Northern Ireland in the year amounted to £586,000. The rate of light dues payable by commercial ships at ports in the Republic of Ireland since 1 April 2005 is €0.56 per net registered ton. The rate at ports in Northern Ireland is £0.39 Stg.