Inside Corporate Services
Martin Dyas, Head of Corporate Services
2009 has been a difficult year globally and on the domestic front. The global economic downturn has impacted on all sectors with international shipping activity being particularly badly affected. The recession has brought immense challenges for Irish Lights as we continue to create efficiencies without adversely affecting the level of service we provide to the maritime community. During 2008-09 substantial costs savings were made through the implementation of these measures.
This year, in addition to reporting on Irish Lights Finance and Performance during 2008-09, I would like to give a brief outline of the functions carried out in the Corporate Services Department (CSD). The department is divided into four main areas; Finance, Human Resources, Legal & Insurance, and Procurement.
Finance
The Finance Section within the department is made up of four different teams, Payroll, Creditors, Treasury, and Financial/ Management Accounts. The Payroll Section processes weekly and monthly payrolls for all employees and pensioners. The section not only has to keep up to date with changes in Irish Tax rules but also with those in the UK as we have a separate payroll for our Northern Ireland employees and pensioners. The past year has been a particularly challenging year for the team with the introduction of the payment levies and the complex changes in the PRSI rules. The Creditors Section is responsible for the processing and payment of supplier invoices. The recent introduction of electronic bank payments and the use of credit cards, for low value purchases, have greatly reduced the overall level of administration required resulting in significant efficiencies being achieved. The Treasury Section looks after the processing of all payments, remittances, invoicing and all other banking transactions. The Financial/Management Accounts team are responsible for the preparation of the monthly management accounts for the Board and Budget Centre Managers. They are also responsible for the production of the Annual Report and Accounts of Irish Lights (CIL) which, once audited, are consolidated into the General Lighthouse Fund Accounts covering CIL, Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB) and Trinity House (TH).
Human Resources (HR)
In simple terms the role of our HR team is to advise and support line managers on policy and strategy matters though, as one would expect, the range of tasks carried out by the team is much broader than this. During 2008-09 the HR team have focussed on areas ranging from Employee Well-being to Industrial Relations, Training and Development, to the co-ordination of the Irish Lights strategy to deal with the risk of the H1N1 virus. The Employee Well-Being/ Assistance Programme (EAP) is a service available to all employees, providing confidential, independent advice, support and assistance on any matters impacting on their work or personal life. Industrial Relations issues have required a number of visits to the Labour Relations Commission during the past year and one trip to the Labour Court. Over the past twelve months there has been a reduction in the training budget. As a consequence, we have concentrated our focus on organising a number of in-house training sessions which have been well received. Precautions have been put in place to deal with the spread of the H1N1 virus, with the catch cry of 'prepare for the worst and hope for the best'. Good communications are an important facet of modern life and the introduction of our in-house monthly newsletter Inside CIL has proven to be a very effective way of keeping employees up to date on current developments in the Service as well as general information on topics from health and safety to healthy living and diet. The HR team has a major administrative role and this year has seen the updating of the HR Information System, CORE, which included changes in the recording of time and attendance, training records and personnel records.
Legal and Insurance
All issues relating to the management and control of legal and commercial matters fall within the remit of the Legal and Insurance section of CSD. This includes all agreements, contracts, licences and leases relating to commercial work including 3rd party buoy contract and the chartering of ILV Granuaile. It is estimated that the income stream derived from this third party work will amount to €1.25m in the current financial year. In conjunction with NLB and TH we collectively insure the GLA fleet of vessels for Marine Protection and Indemnity, Hull and Machinery and War Risks insurances. Our domestic insurances are placed in the Irish market through our brokers, Willis, with well known leading insurance companies such as Allianz, and Hibernian Insurance Ltd (Aviva). Our good claims record over the last number of years has led to substantial reductions in premiums.
Procurement
The primary role of the Procurement team is to provide best value for money for all non-pay expenditure. The Procurement team ensures that Irish Lights fully complies with EU Procurement rules and conducts public and private tenders for the acquisition of goods and services. The team is also responsible for the sale of obsolete and surplus equipment. The Procurement group in Dublin works closely with the other GLAs in Edinburgh and London to identify areas of common expenditure which, in turn, allows for the placing of collective contracts resulting in better buying prices. As we approach our third birthday CSD is proving to be an interesting and challenging place to work. CSD staff are gaining an understanding of and experience in the different functions across the department, increasing intra-departmental flexibility and functionality. This helps alleviate peaks and troughs of work as more resources can be targeted to particular work at specific times. I would like to extend my thanks to all in Corporate Services for their efforts during the past year. I wish you all the best for 2010.