Commissioners of Irish Lights

The mission of Irish Lights is Safe Navigation at Sea. We are a maritime organisation delivering essential 24/7 safety and navigation services around the coast of Ireland (north and south), 365 days a year. Our vision is to protect lives, property, trade and the environment by delivering next generation maritime services at the interface of navigation technology, engineering and data management.
Irish Lights is responsible for Maritime Aids to Navigation (AtoN) under the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention. This remit includes the provision and maintenance of over 330 general aids to navigation, the superintendence of approx. 3,300 local aids to navigation, and marking or removing dangerous wrecks outside harbour areas around Ireland.
Irish Lights also provides a range of navigation and contract commercial services including ship charter, buoy services, equipment hosting and maritime data. We provide value added services to support the development of the broader maritime economy including Met and Coastal Data Services. The Irish Lights tourism and heritage initiative, the ‘Great Lighthouses of Ireland' was developed in partnership with local communities and offers visitors from home and abroad the chance to visit or stay in a working lighthouse.
Irish Lights is vested under Section 634 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1894 with the responsibility for superintendence and management of all lighthouses and other AtoN in respect of Ireland and the adjacent seas and islands. The Merchant Shipping Act 1995 Section 195 (1) empowers Irish Lights with the same function for Northern Ireland. Irish Lights also has responsibility for the marking and removal of wrecks in Ireland under the Merchant Shipping (Salvage and Wreck) Act 1993 Part IV and for Northern Ireland authority is vested in Irish Lights under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995.
Irish Lights is responsible for meeting the Irish and British Governments’ responsibilities under Chapter V Regulation 13 of the International Maritime Organization’s, Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention.