Shipbuilding; Irish Ferries to Build Two Vessels
The European Investment Bank is providing EUR 155 million to finance two new passenger and vehicle ships for the Irish Continental Group (ICG) subsidiary Irish Ferries.The two ferries will increase passenger and cargo capacity on routes to Ireland, replace older and smaller vessels and significantly reduce emissions from the Irish Ferries fleet.The new ferries are expected to be used on both the Dublin-Holyhead and Dublin-Cherbourg routes to reflect demand for a greater choice of services from Ireland to Britain and direct to continental Europe.The announcement was made as the W.B. Yeats cruise ferry made its maiden commercial voyage from Dublin to Holyhead this morning.The largest ever EIB support for Irish shipping was announced during a visit this morning by Andrew McDowell…
Sheen Named ICG Managing Director
Andrew Sheen has been appointed by the Irish Continental Group (ICG) to the position of Managing Director of its Irish Ferries division. Sheen will assume his new role with effect from the beginning of April, reporting to ICG’s CEO, Eamonn Rothwell. Operations Director since 2012, Sheen has been involved in shipping for over 26 years, 10 of them with Irish Ferries - first as a sea-going Chief Engineer and, since 2010, in shore-based operations roles. A Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Institute of Marine Engineers…
UK P&I Club Elects New Board
Seven directors were elected to the Board of the UK P&I Club at its AGM in Athens on the 27th October. After obtaining a postgraduate degree in industrial engineering, Ibrahim Güngen founded Güngen Foreign Trade Co Ltd with his brother Mehmet in 1976 and the business quickly became the biggest importer of molasses in Turkey. Mr Güngen has been chief executive officer of Güngen Maritime and Trading since 1990. Dr Grahaeme Henderson, aged 56, joined Shell following a PhD in Engineering from Southampton University in 1980.
Irish Ferries Must Cut Costs to Survive
Irish Ferries is offering voluntary severance package to its 543 seafaring employees on its Irish Sea services between Dublin/Holyhead and Rosslare/Pembroke. These offers of voluntary severance for those who wish to leave the company are supported by packages to compensate staff who choose to continue in employment on the ships for any changes in work practices required of them. The decision results from Irish Ferries’ inability to continue its operations at its current high cost base in the face of low cost shipping competition and increased capacity from low fares airlines. In 2002, the company indicated to staff and unions that its costs position was untenable.
