Commissioners of Irish Lights

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The Commissioners of Irish Lights (CIL) is the body that serves as the lighthouse authority for all of the island of Ireland plus its adjacent seas and islands. As the Irish Lighthouse Authority it overseas the coastal lights and navigation marks provided by the local lighthouse authorities; the County Councils and Port Authorities.

It is funded by ships that use these seas on a pooled basis with those dues raised by the United Kingdom. This recognises that a large volume of shipping — typically transatlantic — relies on its lights but never puts in to a port in the Republic of Ireland.

1 Finance
2 Flags
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Finance

The services provided by the Commissioners are financed from the General Lighthouse Fund. The income of the General Lighthouse Fund is mainly derived from light dues charged on commercial shipping at ports in Ireland and the United Kingdom, (ie: user pays) supplemented by an annual contribution from the Irish Government towards the cost of the service provided in the Republic of Ireland.

The General Lighthouse Fund is administered by the UK Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions. The General Lighthouse Fund also finances:

Trinity House Lighthouse Service – the General Lighthouse Authority for England, Wales and the Channel Islands;
Northern Lighthouse Board – the General Lighthouse Authority for Scotland and the Isle of Man.

The accounts of the Commissioners of Irish Lights are consolidated with those of Trinity House Lighthouse Service and the Northern Lighthouse Board to form part of the General Lighthouse Fund annual accounts which are published in London by HMSO.

[edit] Flags

Commissioners of Irish Lights is a cross-border body, its HQ being in Dublin. The current flag of the Commissioners of Irish Lights features the St. Patrick's Cross, not the St. George's Cross as on the old flag<ref>A picture of the CIL flag, from the World Flag database</ref>. CIL vessels in Northern Ireland fly the blue ensign as shown; vessels in the Republic fly the Irish tricolour.