Aer Arann, operator of Aer Lingus Regional, announced 50 new jobs today [Wednesday] as the first of eight new aircraft began operations.

The 50 jobs, and a €144 million deal for the new aircraft, are part of the airline’s ‘new beginning’ strategy which aims to position Aer Arann among Europe’s top tier of regional airlines.

The 50 new jobs, a 15% increase in employee numbers, will cover a range of areas, including flight and cabin crew, engineering and support roles.

Recruitment for the jobs, which will be based at the airline’s headquarters in Dublin and in Dublin Airport, is under way, bringing the company’s overall staff numbers to 370.

Aer Arann, which operates Aer Lingus Regional routes from Cork, Shannon, Kerry and Ireland West Airport, Knock, aims to double its passenger numbers to over two million over the next five years.

The airline has overseen a 32% rise in Aer Lingus Regional passenger numbers in the past 12 months and this year is on track to carry in excess of 1.2 million passengers.

Aer Arann recently moved all flight arrivals and departures to Terminal 2 at Dublin Airport, and now operates from the same terminal as Aer Lingus’ mainline services.

The move facilitates Aer Lingus Regional customers linking to Aer Lingus’ transatlantic services in Terminal 2 – a significant and growing part of the business which is on target to bring 100,000 passengers through Dublin’s newest terminal this year.

Today’s announcement was made by Leo Varadkar TD, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, and comes as the first of Aer Arann’s new ATR aircraft arrives and operates key Aer Lingus Regional routes this month.

Minister Varadkar said: ‘I am delighted by Aer Arann’s announcement of the creation of 50 new jobs as part of its “new beginning” strategy. Aer Arann is proving that it is possible to operate successfully as a regional airline by linking Ireland with the UK market and beyond. The company is investing in new aircraft, new routes and new jobs. I wish Aer Arann every success in its “new beginning” strategy, and look forward to more positive announcements in the future.’

Minister Varadkar was joined by Seán Brogan, Aer Arann’s Interim Chief Executive Officer; Simon Fagan, Chief Commercial Officer; and Davina Pratt, Chief Operating Officer.

At the announcement, Mr Brogan said the new recruits are the next step on the airline’s growth path.

‘We recently outlined a package of measures to grow Aer Arann as part of our “new beginning” strategy. These measures included a restructuring of the company, significant investment in new aircraft, extension of the franchise agreement with Aer Lingus until 2022, and the addition of new routes to Manchester and Birmingham. Given these measures, an increasing customer base and expanding route network, we now need to grow our team. These new positions mark another milestone in the future of Aer Arann, and we look forward to welcoming our new recruits over the next 12 months.’

Commenting on today’s announcement, Christoph Mueller, Aer Lingus Chief Executive Officer, said: ‘Our franchise partnership with Aer Arann has gone from strength to strength since its inception in 2010. It has enabled Aer Lingus and Aer Arann to work as a team in developing many new routes and increasing the frequency of service on existing routes. The feedback from our customers has been very positive. They enjoy the service, evidenced in the growing passenger numbers. The new fleet will further improve Aer Lingus Regional customers’ experience, and we welcome the announcement of the new jobs that this fleet expansion brings.’

Local TD and Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport Leo Varadkar has welcomed the start of work on a new MRI facility at Connolly Hospital.

Connolly Hospital expects to have its new MRI scanning service up and running later this year when the new extension is completed and the scanner is installed.

Work has now started on extending the existing X-ray Department to form part of a new MRI Examination Suite. The whole project, including the purchase of the MRI scanner, will come to around €2 million. Minister Varadkar has been campaigning on this issue for some time and raised it on several occasions with the HSE and the Department of Health.

“This is a very welcome development and an important stage in the ongoing campaign to provide an MRI scanner at Connolly Hospital. The provision of an MRI scanner is a vote of confidence in Connolly’s future and also highlights the Government’s ongoing support for the hospital,” Minister Varadkar said.

“Connolly is the only teaching hospital in Dublin which does not have an MRI scanner. Patients currently have to travel to other hospitals for an MRI scan, which is expensive and time-consuming. Having a scanner in Connolly will therefore be a major benefit to Dublin 15 residents.”

Minister Varadkar signs the contract for the start of work on the new Luas Cross City line with Acting CEO of the RPA, Rory O’Connor (far left) and Donagh Kelly from KN Network Services.

New www.luascrosscity.ie website launched to provide ongoing information on works

Construction work will start on Luas Cross City within weeks after Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport Leo Varadkar joined the Railway Procurement Agency and contractors for the formal contract signing.

The first contract was signed today for the €368 million project, which is expected to create around 800 jobs throughout the construction phase. Luas Cross City will join up the existing red and green Luas lines, and link with the Maynooth/Dunboyne commuter line at Broombridge in Cabra.

The RPA estimates that Luas Cross City will attract an additional 10 million passenger journeys each year, producing up to 40 million of passenger journeys across the network.

Passengers will be able to travel from St Stephen’s Green to Broombridge in Cabra in just over 20 minutes on the 5.6km extension. A huge range of new rail journeys will suddenly become possible, including seamless Luas journeys across the city centre, or from Leixlip to St Stephen’s Green, or from Dundrum to Croke Park. Luas Cross City will also connect with suburban rail and bus services.

“It’s a pleasure to attend this contract signing today, which represents a milestone in plans to develop a high-quality public transport network. Luas Cross City will fill a major gap in our infrastructure and will help to make Dublin a properly connected city. Its benefits will be felt far and wide. There’s no doubt that Dublin is suited to light rail and I’m confident that we will all be very proud of this new service in 2017,” Minister Varadkar said.

Work will start in June after the first contract was signed for preliminary enabling works – the Cellar Infill and Investigation Contract – which has been awarded to Clondalkin-based KN Network Services.

RPA’s Acting Chief Executive Rory O’Connor said that the start of construction on Luas Cross City is the most significant public transport event in the city since Luas opened for business in 2004: “It is hugely encouraging for us in the RPA that this project, which will increase our passenger numbers from 30 million to 40 million a year, has been given the go-ahead.”

Minister Varadkar chairs a stakeholders’ group including representatives of all business groups to oversee the delivery of the project and ensure that traffic management and communications arrangements are appropriate and adequate. The RPA and the National Transport Authority are working closely with the City Council, Gardaí, Dublin Bus and the business community on traffic management issues, and a new information website is being launched.

Gerry Murphy, CEO of the National Transport Authority said: “Luas Cross City plays a central role in the overall public transport investment strategy for the Capital City. It will ensure that we get the best value possible from the existing Luas, rail and bus services, as it forms new connections for people. It will also enhance the impact of new investments currently being made in rail, bus, walking and cycling.

“The Authority will ensure that people’s daily lives are disrupted as little as possible while the works are in progress. We will ensure that contractors conduct their works in a speedy and professional manner, and we have set up a new website: www.luascrosscity.ie to give the public and businesses up-to-date information and a fast contact channel to the managing team when they need it.”

It is inevitable that the construction works will lead to some disruption for businesses, but everything possible is being done to ensure that such disruption is kept to a minimum and that the city remains open for business during construction. Businesses in the city centre will of course be one of the major beneficiaries when Luas Cross City is up and running.

Ends

Further details
The first contract involves filling in hundreds of cellars. These are typically brick vaulted spaces previously used for coal storage. These works will be carefully monitored and items of archaeological interest will be recorded. It is necessary to fill in these cellars so that the next phases of the works can begin. The contract will deal with 25 known structures and a further 330 cellars are expected to be identified and filled in as part of this first phase.

Work has already started on the building condition surveys to assess the condition of properties along the Luas Cross City Line. The main construction works for the project will commence in early 2015.

Dublin’s Lord Mayor, Minister Varadkar & IAA Chairman unveil unique aviation event for The Gathering Ireland 2013

Wednesday, 15th May 2013: Thousands of people are expected to gather by the quays along the River Liffey, on Sunday, 15th September, to experience the Irish Aviation Authority’s (IAA) and Dublin City Council’s (DCC) FlightFest, a once-in- a-lifetime, international aviation flypast.

Details of the event were announced by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Naoise Ó Muirí, Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport, Leo Varadkar, IAA Chairman, Ms. Anne Nolan, and a number of dignitaries.

Over 30 aircraft will fly through the city of Dublin as part of the Gathering Ireland 2013. They will set off from Dublin Airport, into Dublin Port and up along the River Liffey, as far as the Customs House. The sustained flypast through Dublin city centre will take two hours to complete and the flights will be sequenced at five minutes intervals.

FlightFest will be a free family event. A large section of the quays will be pedestrianised, with many family attractions and festivities available, contributing to a carnival atmosphere that will showcase Irish aviation.

Large commercial aircraft from Ireland and abroad will fly past, including the Boeing 737 and the Airbus A320, A321, A300, A330 and A340 aircraft . The Irish Coast Guard, the Irish Air Corps and the Royal Air Force will also participate and spectators will enjoy a variety of helicopters and vintage aircraft including the World War II Spitfire and the B-17 Flying Fortress.

The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Naoise Ó Muirí said that such a spectacular flypast, right in the heart of the city, will lift the spirits of Dublin families and those who visit the capital.

“The display of all these aircraft over the Liffey will be a spectacle that will be remembered by old and young for many years to come. Dublin City Council is delighted to work with the IAA, Dublin Port Company and the airlines, along with all those involved in putting together this spectacular family event.”

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Leo Varadkar said the event will be a real Gathering highlight. “I can’t wait to see these aircraft flying over the Liffey, including two Coast Guard helicopters from my own Department. It will be a fantastic draw for visitors from overseas and from Ireland. I want to commend the IAA, Dublin City Council and all the organisers for bringing us something unique and special, and for responding to the call to do something for the Gathering.”

FlightFest is being brought to Dublin by the Irish Aviation Authority and Dublin City Council, in partnership with Dublin Port Company, The Gathering Ireland 2013, Fáilte Ireland, Tourism Ireland, the Irish Coast Guard, Air Corps and An Garda Síochána.
Ms. Anne Nolan, Chairman Irish Aviation Authority said that the IAA believed such a unique event was a great opportunity, in the year of The Gathering Ireland 2013, to promote the aviation industry and its contribution to the Irish economy.

“Half of the world’s aviation fleet is now managed from Ireland, with 1,000 people directly employed in the aviation leasing industry in the country. By providing the people of Dublin, and those visiting the city, with an opportunity to see, at close hand, some of the best aircraft in the world, the industry is contributing to attracting domestic and international tourists to the city.”

The aviation financing and leasing community has come together to support the event, along with all the major Irish air operators.

The FlightFest fly past will take place on the afternoon of Sunday, 15th September 2013. The aircraft will be seen from most parts of the city centre. However the best vantage points will be along the River Liffey from Dublin Port right up to the Customs House.

The aircraft confirmed at present include: B-17 Flying Fortress; Pilatus PC9; Learjet; Casa; Gulfstream; Cessna; ML407 Grace Spitfire; RJ85; Sikorsky S92 and S61 and AW139 helicopters; C130 Hercules; Boeing 737 and Airbus A320, A321, A300, A330 and A340. Owners of more aircraft are expected to confirm their participation in the coming weeks.

OVER 100 TEAMS EXPECTED AT GUINNESS IRISH RUGBY GATHERING IN UCD

Irish Rugby will deliver an estimated €250,000 boost to the economy with over 100 teams expected to ‘Gather’ in University College Dublin on 17th August to compete in the Guinness Irish Rugby Gathering, organised by the IRFU and Leinster Rugby.

The festival of rugby was specially created as part of The Gathering with over 1,200 players on over 100 teams, including over 500 international participants, from 50 international teams, expected to take part in Tag, Touch and Sevens competitions.

UCD have made their world class facilities available for the festival, and a summer carnival atmosphere will be created in a tented village that is expected to attract over 5,000 spectators, supporters and players. Information on how to sign up for the Tag, Touch and Sevens events is available on irishrugby.ie.

Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport Leo Varadkar said:

“I’m really looking forward to this event which promises a feast of rugby. The Irish are a sports-mad nation, and sporting occasions like this are a crucial part of the Gathering. I want to commend the IRFU for organising this rugby festival.”

At the launch of the initiative Ireland Captain Jamie Heaslip said,

“There are times as a professional player when you wish you weren’t in the middle of your preseason and the Guinness Irish Rugby Gathering Festival is one of those. The festival will deliver a great mix of rugby which will allow people to pit their skills against international teams and even get some pre-season training in.

The social side of summer rugby events is amazing and this is one of those events that promises to be the highlight of the summer so I encourage everybody to pull a team together and get involved.”

Rory Sheridan, GUINNESS, said,

“We are delighted to support the IRFU and Leinster Rugby’s Gathering initiative. The tournament provides a great mix of rugby and with such a large concentration of teams and competitions all in the one venue, through the support of UCD, the Guinness Irish Rugby Gathering certainly promises to deliver a real festival of rugby and a carnival atmosphere on August 17th.”

100 cruise liners, over 120,000 passengers contributing 

Up to €50m to Dublin economy in 2013
Wednesday, 15th May 2013: The 142 metre “Le Boreal” cruise liner, with 400 passengers and crew sailed into Dublin Port at 5am this morning and was the first cruise liner to berth at East Link Bridge this year, marking the launch of Dublin Port’s 2013 cruise season.

Dublin Port’s Masterplan 2012-2040 envisages new cruise berths and, in advance of these additional facilities, the Port is bringing over 30 of this year’s cruise liners right up to East Link Bridge where the new berths will be built. This will give a flavour of what the Port’s multi-million euro investment will deliver.

Dublin Port Company will build two new cruise berths and dredge the river so that up to three large cruise liners can berth in full view of the city and cruise passengers can reach the city’s restaurants, shops and attractions easily. The new berths will enable 340 metre cruise liners to berth right up to East Link Bridge at the city gates [see attached], and leave open the potential for a future complementary commercial development at East Link Bridge, with public spaces and access to the water when cruise ships are not there.

The Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport, Leo Varadkar T.D., said, “Dublin Port Company’s plan to develop berths close to the city will greatly enhance our tourism offering. Today is the first step and is good news for the Port and for the city of Dublin.”

Mr. Eamonn O’Reilly, Chief Executive, Dublin Port Company said, “Our cruise business continues to grow [see attached]. We’re delighted to have secured almost 100 cruise ships this year and to bring many of these close to the city for the first time. We have studied cruise facilities in cities such as Vancouver and Copenhagen and learned a lot about customer requirements and optimal marketing requirements. Dublin Port is already the largest gateway for cruise visitors to Ireland and with 1.7 million ferry passengers moving through the port, is behind only Dublin Airport and Cork Airport as a national tourism hub. We have a fantastic offering here with a growing reputation internationally as the go-to city for high end cruise calls. Our location at the heart of Dublin beside the city’s shops, restaurants and bars, as well as proximity to the airport, makes Dublin Port a very attractive destination for major cruise liner operators.”

The French designed Le Boreal offers the latest in cruise luxury with 132 state rooms and an array of facilities on board including a spa, beauty centre, library, gym, theatre and restaurants.

The cruise sector has become a hugely important part of the city’s tourism product since Dublin Port Company first targeted this trade in the mid 1990s. It is estimated that cruise liners have contributed over €350 million to the city in the last decade alone. Dublin Port Company is pleased to have played its role in attracting this business for the city and looks forward to the development of dedicated cruise facilities at East Link Bridge.

Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport Leo Varadkar and Minister of State for Public & Commuter Transport Alan Kelly have welcomed the offer of mediation by the Labour Relations Commission in the Bus Éireann dispute.

Minister Varadkar said: “This is a positive development, and I welcome the fact that both parties have entered further discussions. All sides need to work together to secure the future of services and jobs at Bus Éireann, and I am glad to see this happening. I encourage both parties to reach a speedy resolution. This will be the third time that the LRC has mediated in this dispute. It is essential for the survival of Bus Éireann that on this occasion an agreement is reached and implemented quickly.”

Minister Kelly said: “This is a welcome development and can create the space for the company to be saved. The losses are severe and Bus Éireann’s future viability is under threat. This is one of the most serious situations ever facing the public transport system in the history of the State. This is not easy for any side, workers or management. I would encourage all sides to use this time wisely so that the company’s financial situation is addressed and the public have access to transport.”

Launching the Gathering stamp: Minister Varadkar with Celia Holman-Lee and her students.

This year’s St Patrick’s Festival in Dublin was the most successful ever staged. Record numbers of people from abroad joined in the fun, or marched in the parade.

As St Patrick’s Festival is one of the key events for the Gathering, it’s also a great way to see how well the Gathering is doing. And the signs at this stage are pretty good.

A quarter of visitors for St Patrick’s Day this year were from the US. According to Fáilte Ireland, spending by overseas tourists was much higher than previous years.

Of course, its still early days for the Gathering. We can’t tell how the rest of the year will go, and we only have visitor figures up to March. But even those figures are very positive, showing a 7.4% increase in visitor numbers to Ireland for the first quarter. The tourism industry is giving us positive feedback, and we have more great events to announce. All in all, I’m very encouraged.

Since it all kicked off in Dublin on New Year’s Eve I’ve had the pleasure of seeing a few Gatherings at first hand, including the Páidí Ó Sé Football Gathering in West Kerry. This extraordinary event featured GAA players from around the world. I watched Spanish-born GAA players taking on Watford GAA in an international festival of Gaelic football.

Last weekend my own family Gathering took place in Dungarvan, Co. Waterford. This is my mother’s home town and the family has been there for generations. It coincided with the town’s first Maritime Festival. The event exceeded all expectations, with more than 60 relatives attending from Ireland, the UK and America. It was a great chance to reconnect with relatives who I hadn’t seen for years, and to meet some new ones.

Many people were initially sceptical about the Gathering, and they were probably right to be. After all, organising the biggest tourism event ever held in Ireland is quite a big ask, especially when it involves huge numbers of volunteers.

But people across Ireland have really bought into it. In Dublin alone some 781 Gatherings have been organised, with a total of 3,000 events taking place around the country, big and small.

Although we want to use the Gathering to reboot the tourism industry, there’s much more to it than simply boosting visitor numbers. Open any regional newspaper, and you’ll find stories about local Gatherings being held. It’s helping to restore community pride and initiative, at a time of considerable national and international uncertainty.

We also want to revive and renew Ireland’s unparalleled global connections. Our diaspora is one of our greatest strengths. Every parish has connections with other parts of the world, and Ireland remains the most globalised country in the world. Our international links represent a great opportunity to help to get Ireland back on its feet.

None of this would have happened without the Gathering team, the staff in Failte Ireland and Tourism Ireland, and the hundreds of people around the country organising Gatherings at local level.

I also hope that the Gathering will bring long-term gains, and we are already looking ahead to its legacy. The Dublin New Year’s Eve Festival was a massive success, and I think Dublin will come to rival Edinburgh and Sydney as one of the best places to see in the New Year.

New festivals being held this year for the first time – like Rebel Week in Cork – could become annual fixtures. Others have been revived, such as the Strawberry Fair in my own part of Dublin.

I also read a recent article in the Longford Leader which really summed up the positive impact of the Gathering: “The Gathering is what you make of it and that is why it is so positive to see so many people joining in the effort to make something out of it for Longford.”

It’s happening in Longford, it’s happening in Meath, Kerry, Donegal, Carlow…you name it, and there’s a Gathering. If you haven’t already, there’s still plenty of time to organise your own.

This article was first published in the Herald newspaper.

At the St Stephen’s Green Luas Stop: Minister Varadkar with Werner Hoyer, President of the European Investment Bank.

My decision to proceed with Luas Cross City was a no-brainer in my opinion. It’s the missing link in Greater Dublin’s rail transport network. It will connect the two Luas lines at long last and connect the Luas network to the Sligo/Maynooth line.

This fantastic €368 million project will transform public transport across the city centre. People from all over the Greater Dublin region will benefit, as well as those travelling to the capital from across Ireland.

When I was appointed Minister, one of my top priorities was to decide which one of four major rail projects should go ahead. All four projects have merits, but resources are so limited that we can only afford one project at this time.

In terms of the benefits for passengers, and the project costs, Luas Cross City was a clear winner. Metro North and Dart Underground are also good projects, but just too expensive at this time. Luas Cross City is close to one tenth of the cost of Metro North or Dart Underground.

Another alternative – providing an airport spur from the northbound Dart line – would limit the potential for future services to Belfast, Louth and north County Dublin, and services to Howth would have to be downgraded.

We also looked at a new form of bus transport – Bus Rapid Transport – effectively a tram service using buses. But it’s too early to proceed with BRT just yet because it still requires a lot of planning and design.

All sorts of new journeys will become possible by rail for the first time with Luas Cross City. Passengers will switch easily between the red and green Luas lines in the city centre and from mainline rail to Luas at Heuston, Connolly and Broombridge. New journeys like Dundrum to Leixlip, from the 02 to Cabra, or from Tallaght to Trinity College will suddenly be possible by rail.

Luas Cross City will run through the city centre from St Stephen’s Green to Broombridge, near Cabra. One section will run in a loop up O’Connell Street, and back across a brand new bridge on Marlborough Street. The other will continue as a spur to Broombridge where it will connect with the Maynooth rail line. The old station at Broadstone and the new DIT campus at Grangegorman will be on the new line.

It has the potential to reduce car journeys through the city, and bring 10 million more passenger journeys to Luas.

Luas is a real public transport success story. It will carry more passengers than the entire Irish rail network when Luas Cross City is completed, and more passengers than all the airports in the country combined. It has operated largely without a subvention and will return to profit shortly.

As for Luas Cross City – it has a great business case, and the potential to create direct and indirect employment for 800 people during construction.

Preliminary work starts on Luas in just a few weeks’ time. There will inevitably be some city centre disruption, but we want to work closely with local traders and have set up a forum which meets regularly. The National Transport Authority is also setting up a website and information office to provide information and regular updates for businesses, residents and commuters.

For the future, the very nature of light rail means it can easily be extended by bolting on new lines and spurs. The docklands extension has been operating well, and in 2011 we opened another new line to City West. I want to see more lines and spurs being added at a later stage, such as a line to Lucan and a spur to Finglas.

There was more good news last week when the European Investment Bank expressed an interest in investing in Luas Cross City. We already have full funding for this project, but an EIB investment would provide cheaper funding, and mean savings for taxpayers.

Luas has been a great success for Dublin, and the Railway Procurement Agency which built Luas is now selling its skills in other European countries. The new Cross City line will transform public transport in the city. Let’s all get on board.

This article was first published in the Irish Independent.