LATEST DUBLIN CITY NEWS

• “Proposed changes to retail guidelines will cost jobs, compromise main streets and cause more dereliction - An Taisce”

  03-01-2012

  Jobs will be lost and main streets will suffer if Forfas gets its way on Retail Planning  according to a recent An Taisce  Press Release

• Rejuvenating Dublin's Tourism Product

  23-12-2011

  Dublin City Business Association commissioned Jerome Casey and Felim O’Rourke to undertake a study of tourism in Dublin and to make least-cost recommendations for its rejuvenation. The World Tourism Organisation concluded (in relation to Ireland) that "there appears to be very little correlation between marketing spending by National Tourism Organisations and international arrivals". 
  

  Within Ireland, there is a mismatch between the Irish tourism market and the public resources devoted to it. 

  33 existing tourist attractions in Dublin were reviewed, and low-cost initiatives suggested for their improvement.

  From 2000 – 2010 Ireland’s share of world tourism visitors has fallen sharply. In 2004, Ireland changed from being a destination country for incoming tourists to an origin country for Irish, outgoing tourists.

  Dublin must move from passive approval of tourist activities to an active development of tourism as a priority industry in regenerating the city’s economy. 

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

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Ireland Heads European Electricity Cost Rankings

Thursday the 3rd of January 2008

A major and immediate concern facing the Irish enterprise sector is the need to have an energy supply that is secure and also competitively priced. The price of electricity in Ireland has gone from below the EU-15 average in 1996 to 13% above in 2006.

In order to go forward we need to see clear targets set out for the country's future price competitiveness. A determined strategy needs to be identified to reduce the growing electricity price difference between Ireland and competing countries. The National Development Plan indicates that exchequer funds could be used to support the national security of electricity supply. Electricity interconnection and increased fuel storage capacity should be strategic for action or State funding and it is important that these be acted on quickly. The study, European Electricity Price Review, looked at the electricity markets of the EU15 (European Union member countries prior to May 1st 2004 enlargement) and found that there is an enormous variation in the electricity energy burden between countries and concluded that his must have an impact on national competitiveness. Overall, the study shows that the degree of competition has a major impact on prices with the most competitive countries (UK and Finland) having the lowest prices.

The EU15 countries covered in the study have choices on energy policies that are influenced by a number of factors- geography, access to recourses, energy dependence, demographics, and political ideologies of governments. Electricity prices are an outcome of those policy choices.

There is a wide variation in electricity prices across Europe. Finland and the UK have the first and second lowest pre-tax prices in Europe. These low prices are driven by a high degree of competition in both markets. In contrast to this, Finland has the 4th lowest wholesale and distribution prices whilst UK has the lowest distribution prices.

Ireland and Germany have the highest and second highest pre-tax prices across Europe. Ireland has very high wholesale prices whilst Germany has the highest distribution prices across Europe. This wide variation in prices reflects wide variations in energy policy objectives.

The study looked at these choices in detail and concluded:
• Wholesale prices have the biggest impact on pre-tax prices (41% of end price)
• Fuel mix has the biggest impact on wholesale prices- the highest wholesale prices were present for countries with a highest percentage of fossil fuels in their mix.
• Reserve margins have the next biggest impact on wholesale prices

Distribution costs are the 2nd biggest driver of pre-tax prices (37% of end price)-
• Concentration in the distribution coupled with effective regulation is a driver of prices.
• Age of assets, quality of service and customer density are not key drivers of prices

Taxes are the 3rd biggest drivers of prices. Some countries have a strong alignment between policy and taxes (e.g. Danish energy taxes are 50% of post-tax prices to encourage the wind power industry, a strategic policy objective). Portugal has the lowest taxes (55% of post-tax prices).

Degree of competition has a major impact on prices with the most competitive countries (UK, Finland) having the lowest prices. In the competitive countries, it has been possible for companies to deliver low prices, high quality of service and reasonable profits.

In Ireland, electricity prices have increased 61% over the past five years- this is the highest energy price inflation anywhere in Europe. The cost of electricity has also recorded the highest rate of increase since 2000- up 41% in a move that could threaten the competitiveness of Irish businesses. A study of European gas and electricity markets shows the cost of electricity in Ireland since 2000 has soared to almost nine times the average EU inflation levels.

The high rate of energy inflation has been criticised by the Consumers' Association of Ireland (CAI). According to the Central Statistics Office, the cost of electricity, water and other utilities had grown by over 10% in 2005. CAI chief executive Dermott Jewell said it was "extraordinary and entirely wrong" that the commission for Energy Regulation (CER) had allowed Irish electricity prices to outstrip their EU counterparts by such an extent. He also expressed disappointment that the increases have not resulted in more competition, as promised by the CER.

Mr Jewel said consumers in the Republic of Ireland had become increasingly frustrated due to the lack of competition. "There has been enough time and enough increases to allow for greater competition. We now need to see businesses fighting for our custom".

According to a report compiled by the EU statistical office, Eurostat, consumption of electricity in Ireland has risen by 94% since 1990, although generation levels have increased by only 74%.