Latest news with #PublicServiceObligation
Belfast Telegraph
19 hours ago
- Business
- Belfast Telegraph
Derry to Dublin air route expected to re-open ‘next year', says Irish minister
Foyle MP Colum Eastwood tonight has welcomed progress on the restoration of the route following a meeting between Irish Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien and City of Derry Airport today. Mr O'Brien has confirmed that he expects services to commence later in 2026. Mr Eastwood said: 'This is great news for Derry and it's another important part of enhancing connectivity between every part of the island to drive investment, create jobs and deliver more opportunities for people in the North West. 'The Irish Government set out a clear and positive commitment to establish a new public service obligation route between Derry and Dublin in the Programme for Government this year and I am delighted that Minister Darragh O'Brien and others have wasted no time in rolling up their sleeves and getting to work. 'This is a great example of how prioritising investment across our shared island can deliver for people and communities in every part of Ireland. I'm looking forward to continuing to work with the Minister and the whole Irish Government to deliver on shared priorities.' Earlier, Mr O'Brien met with the Chief Executive of Derry City and Strabane District Council John Kelpie and management of City of Derry Airport. They discussed the progress to date on the service between Dublin and Derry City airports, and the preparatory work under way. Mr O'Brien said: 'In the context of building our shared Island, the Programme for Government includes a very clear commitment to engage with relevant stakeholders to establish air connectivity between Dublin and Derry City airports. "We had a very constructive meeting today on progressing this commitment, and once the preparatory work is completed, I expect services will commence later in 2026 following a procurement process.' Irish Department of Transport officials are also engaging closely with colleagues in the Shared Island Unit, Stormont's Department for the Economy, the UK Department for Transport, and the European Commission in relation to any State aid implications and obligations. A Market Sounding Exercise is planned by the Department this year, to better inform the level and frequency of services that may be required on this Public Service Obligation (PSO) air route. Attendees at today's meeting were Minister of State at the Department of Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport Charlie McConalogue; Donegal County Council Chief Executive John McLaughlin; Chief Executive of Derry City and Strabane District Council John Kelpie; Chairman of City of Derry Airport Albert Harrison; Deputy Chairman of City of Derry Airport Paul Byrne; Director of City of Derry Airport Seamus Neely; Managing Director of City of Derry Airport Steve Frazer; and Department of Transport officials.
The Journal
12-06-2025
- Business
- The Journal
PSO levy reduction expected but it won't make much of a dent in energy bills for households
A REDUCTION IN the Public Service Obligation (PSO) levy that appears on electricity bills of households and small businesses is to be announced this week. The PSO levy is charged to all electricity customers in Ireland in a bid to support the generation of electricity from sustainable, renewable and indigenous sources. The annual charge is currently €42.25. It is expected that the a reduction in the PSO levy for both households and small commercial businesses will result in savings of around €23 per year for households and €90 per year for small businesses. Government sources state that this is just one small item in a suite of measures being examined to bring the the cost of bills down for consumers. 'This Government is committed to tackling high energy costs through a wide range of measures while continuing to accelerate the decarbonisation of Ireland's energy system,' they said. The measure comes as it emerged yesterday that electricity bills will actually increase by at least €83 a year to pay for a major upgrade of the country's power system. ESB Networks has asked the energy regulator to approve a price increase that would enable it to fund investment of over €10 billion in next five years, investment that a conference heard yesterday is badly needed in order to meet the growing demands on the power grid. The government has come under increasing pressure to assist homes and businesses with electricity and gas costs, with Irish people paying some of the most expensive bills in Europe. A new group, tasked with driving down the cost for businesses, met yesterday for the first time. The Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke established the new group with the aim of reducing the cost of running a business. Advertisement The forum brings together business owners, retailers, tourism operators, accounting professionals and representative groups—alongside regulators and state agencies—to look at the structural issues that are driving up costs and the steps that could be taken to mitigate them. However, for every day households, little assistance is on the horizon this year, with government stating that there will be no across-the-board energy credits this year. Irish customers do pay more, says minister Energy Minister Darragh O'Brien told The Journal this week that Irish customers, in comparison to our EU colleagues, do pay more when it comes to energy. 'We're probably the third most expensive when you average it out,' he said. The minister said he had set up an affordability task force within his department that he will be chair next week. The group is looking at options on how to drive affordability, said O'Brien, but added that how electricity prices are struck is the main issue impacting Irish householders. The cost of electricity for Irish customers is still linked at European level to the wholesale gas price, said the minister. O'Brien said he has raised the matter with the European Commission on how to break that link, but said it is a 'medium term' body of work that is needed before any changes will be seen. 'More EU states like Ireland are now producing more renewable energy, yet the energy cost itself is still linked to the wholesale gas prices. So that's something that at an EU level, I can't change that independently for Ireland, that's something that we will be having discussions on at an EU level,' said the minister. The minister said the matter will be raised again at the Energy Council in Luxembourg next week. 'There are other EU partners who would be in agreement with us that we need to reflect in our pricing the fact that we've more renewables year-on-year coming on stream, that we're becoming less dependent on gas and on fossils. So why should the base price be stuck on the basis of the wholesale gas price. I think that's a bigger discussion that we need to have,' the minister said. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Travel Daily News
09-06-2025
- Business
- Travel Daily News
ERA: Revised passenger rights ignore regional airline needs
ERA warns revised EU261 fails regional airlines, risking essential connectivity with stricter rules and insufficient exemptions for PSO and short-haul operators. The European Regions Airline Association (ERA) raises concern following the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council's agreement on its position for revising the Passenger Rights Regulation, EU261. While the update includes some long-overdue improvements, such as the introduction of a binding, non-exhaustive list of extraordinary circumstances, and brings much-needed legal clarity, it ultimately fails to reflect the specific realities of regional air transport and risks weakening Europe's essential air connectivity. Raising the delay threshold from three to five hours for short-haul flights, as originally proposed, was particularly vital for regional carriers. These airlines typically operate smaller aircraft on tighter schedules, without the flexibility of standby planes or reserve crews. The Council's limited increase to just four hours is a step in the right direction but ultimately falls short. Worse still, no exemptions have been granted for PSO (Public Service Obligation) flights. These routes are often the only link for remote or underserved communities and operate on extremely tight margins. Increasing compensation from 250 euros to 300 euros, while denying PSO flights any flexibility, places an excessive burden on the carriers delivering essential services. Other new obligations, including automatic reimbursement, the right to rebook after three hours on other carriers or transport modes, and potential self-rerouting of up to 400% of ticket value, further exacerbate the economic pressure on regional operators already stretched to maintain services. 'This was a chance to strike a fair balance between protecting passengers and safeguarding the regional air services that so many rely on,' said Montserrat Barriga, Director General, ERA. 'Yet regional airlines have been overlooked. The revision in its current form risks damaging the financial sustainability of regional operations and, by extension, the connectivity of Europe's regions.' As the European Parliament now examines the text, ERA urges policymakers to reconsider. A one-size-fits-all approach fails Europe's most vulnerable air routes. A fair and future-proof regulatory framework must support the economic realities of regional aviation and protect the connectivity that keeps communities and economies across Europe connected.
Irish Daily Mirror
29-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Daily Mirror
Bus Éireann to spend €7 million on gift cards to reward staff for safe driving
Bus Éireann is set to spend around €7 million on gift cards for its staff to reward safe driving and other positive practices at work. The state-owned company, which relies heavily on public funding, recorded total losses of €2.2 million over the course of its two most recent financial years. It's now seeking tenders for the supply of pre-loaded gift cards for its staff members, which will be used to reward positive performance, such as safe driving and employee referrals. The estimated value of the contract for the supply of the gift cards is €7 million excluding VAT, according to tender documents, and it's for a period of five years with two possible 12-month extensions. Bus Éireann has specified that the gift cards it will purchase must be universally accepted in Ireland, but they will not be redeemable for the purpose of online gaming or gambling. The cards must remain valid for at least one year and recipients should be able to check the balance of each card by phone, online, or in store, the tender states. They will use debit card technology and will not feature the name of the beneficiary. 'Bus Éireann seeks to engage the services of a qualified agency to provide pre-loaded gift cards for its staff,' it said. 'The main demand will be for bonus cards for driving staff and engineering staff. The cards will be required in varying denominations.' The successful supplier will be required to deliver the cards to the company's offices throughout the country based on 'award lists' provided by Bus Éireann. They will be purchased in batches at various times during the year. The bus and coach operator receives significant public funding and was awarded a five-year contract worth €1.2 billion last year for services on Public Service Obligation (PSO) routes. In 2022, it recorded a €1.5 million loss, and a further loss of €700,000 the following year despite revenues rising by 14 per cent to €583.7 million, and passenger journeys climbing nearly 20 per cent to 107 million. Tenders for the €7 million contract for the supply of gift cards must be received by June 24, according to the company. Bus Éireann did not respond to a request for comment.
Irish Independent
28-04-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
What the carbon tax increase means for you as household fuel costs set to rise
For a household using gas, the total carbon tax bill will rise by €17 to around €138 a year. People using home-heating oil will end up paying an extra €19 to fill a 900-litre home-heating oil tank after the May Day rise in the tax. Thursday's rise comes after it was revealed that the State's take from carbon taxes hit €1bn for the first time last year. Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín called for a review of the taxes on electricity, gas, home-heating oil, petrol and diesel after it emerged some taxes on energy and fuel have surged. Figures supplied to him by Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe show carbon tax receipts have doubled in the last five years. This led Mr Tóibín to accuse the Government of 'cashing in' on the cost-of-living crisis at a time when energy bills have increased. Filling a 900-litre home-heating oil tank will now cost households around €160 in carbon tax in total. However, this comes at a time when heating oil prices have fallen heavily, due to a sharp fall in crude-oil prices. The cost of 1,000 litres of the fuel is approaching €880, down from €1,000 at the start of the year, according to price-tracking website Higher carbon taxes on petrol and diesel were imposed soon after the Budget in October, adding around 3c to the cost of a litre of both motor fuels. The tax now adds up to around 17c on every litre of petrol and diesel. Carbon tax is applied to carbon-emitting fuels such as coal, oil, petrol, diesel and natural gas. ADVERTISEMENT Introduced in 2010, the tax is intended to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and is part of Ireland's strategy to support a greener and cleaner environment. It was raised by €7.50 to €63.50 per tonne of CO2 in last October's Budget. The rate of carbon tax is set to increase further in increments to €100 per tonne by 2030. However, as is now customary, the increase was postponed until May on home-heating fuels such as natural gas and home-heating oil. The carbon tax doesn't apply to electricity, where the PSO (Public Service Obligation) levy is applied. This is currently just over €42 a year, and is largely used to subsidise wind farms. Daragh Cassidy, head of communications at price-comparison and switching site said home-fuel prices were already at record levels. 'Gas prices are still around double what they were before the war in Ukraine broke out,' he said. Recent figures from the energy regulator showed that a quarter of all household gas customers were in arrears, he added. This works out at more than 171,000 households. 'So a further hike in gas costs is probably the last thing people need to hear,' Mr Cassidy said. 'Gas customers will now be paying around €138 a year to the Government in carbon tax alone. 'And by the end of the decade, this will increase to around €220 a year as the tax is set to increase to €100 per tonne by 2030.' Mr Cassidy said that to offset the tax, the easiest step for gas customers to take would be to switch supplier. Customers who switch can get discounts of more than 20pc from their new supplier for an entire year, which would more than negate the tax increase.
