The latest available figures show 89,000 people employed in the transport and logistics sector with over 50% of these (46,500) employed in land transport. 13,800 people work in warehousing and support activities, and 17,400 in postal and courier activities. Some 9,700 of these work in air transport. In total, 26,000 jobs are supported directly by the aviation industry with a further 16,000 jobs in supply chain.
Occupations in this sector are predominantly in transport, with some in the areas of storage, communications and wholesale and retail business.
Modes of transport include road, rail, air and sea. As an island nation, Ireland is more heavily dependent on maritime transport than most other EU member states.
Sea Transport - Maritime transport services employ approximately 8,300 people, and 14,000 when other direct transport services are included.
Maritime transport is the motor that drives other maritime industries - it has three main aspects to it:
- Shipping Services: Commercial activity of getting people and cargo from A to B
- Marine Transport: Physical activity of getting people and cargo from A to B (maritime)
- Ports & Maritime Logistics: Effective management of shipping and maritime transport activities from quay-to-quay and as part of a larger holistic supply chain management infrastructure
Sea freight - the movement of goods and merchandise for export and import - is also a significant area.
Seafaring (one of the oldest and most traditional trades remaining in Ireland today. There are approximately 2,000 Irish seafarers or sailors, of which 1,000 are serving on Irish vessels and the balance on foreign owned and flagged ships). Other occupations in sea transport include: Harbour master, Ships captain, Deckhands, Ships mate, Marine mechanics - Aircraft pilots are also included in the occupations needed by ferry companies today.
Most of Ireland’s imported and exported goods are still transported by sea. The Competition Authority estimates that sea-borne freight accounts for 84% of Ireland’s trade in volume (62% in value terms). Many of Ireland’s major exporting sectors (e.g pharmaceuticals, chemicals and food) are heavily reliant on sea transport. Based on data from Irish Exporters Association, Trade and Transport Analysis.
Ferries continue to become more luxurious making them more attractive for people to use when travelling to Europe and Britain. According to the Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO) ferry passenger numbers on routes between the UK and Ireland rose by 4% during the first three months of this year, a positive indicator for the sector. Cruise travel worldwide has been growing by about 7% per year on average, with larger capacity cruiseliners, more destination routes and ever increasing variety of on-board activities to match the demands of consumers.
Career and employment opportunities in sea transport are expected to slowly increase in coming years. Additional openings will occur to replace those experienced individuals who will retire from sector.
Air Transport - As an island nation at the edge of Europe, air transport is crucial to Ireland's economy. Air cargo transport is essential for getting our goods to market (Air freight), for the tourism industry and for connecting Ireland with the rest of the world. The aviation industry is also a key driver of our economic growth, contributing approximately €4.1 billion to the Irish economy annually. The industry directly employs 26,000 people, with a further 16,000 people employed along the air transport supply chain.
Air Freight accounts for about 1% of tonnage and 35% of the value of all freight into and out of Ireland – mainly foodstuffs (such as organic fruit and seafood products), pharmaceutical, medical devices and IT components. Most of Ireland’s international freight is carried in the hold of passenger aircraft. However, not all carriers provide a freight service, which means that there is less choice in terms of frequency and range of locations served by air freight services, than for passenger services. Dedicated air freighters are an important and growing part of the international air freight business.
| Did you know that .... Ireland is responsible for half of the world's aircraft leasing! |
Ireland is also an established international aviation leasing hub. Aviation Services, have seen huge growth in recent years - 50% of the world’s commercial leased aircraft is managed from Ireland, according to IDA Ireland. The aircraft leasing sector is included with others to form the Financial Services Sector in which there were 16,803 people employed in 2012 (Source: Dept Jobs, Enterprise & Innovation Q&A 10/7/13).
Nine of the 10 biggest leasing companies have operations in Dublin, with more than 3,000 aircraft valued at €83bn leased from Ireland, according to the Department of Transport.
There are four well-known commercial passenger airlines here: Aer Lingus, which is the largest airline operating out of Ireland; Ryanair, which is one of the largest airlines in Europe; CityJet and Aer Arann. Foreign based airlines are also very important and often carry a higher proportion of business visitors and tourists than Irish ones.
Aerial view of Dublin Airport following the addition of Terminal 2
Ireland also has a vibrant business and general aviation sector and a well developed airport infrastructure. The State owns three airports; Dublin, Shannon and Cork. There are also several regional airports around the country (Donegal, Galway, Knock, Sligo, Waterford, Kerry and the Aran islands).
The Irish Aviation Authority is responsible for the management of Irish controlled airspace. Air traffic management, Safety regulation and Aviation security are its key responsibilities.
Pilots and flight attendants may be the most visible employees in the sector, but did you realise that 2 out of every 3 workers in this industry work in a ground occupation?
Air Traffic Controller, Aircraft Engineer, Aeronautical Inspector and Aeronautical Officer are just some of the many job roles needed to run today's commercial and charter airlines.
The sector also employs aircraft mechanics, service technicians, cargo and baggage handlers, reservation and ticket agents and a wide range of clerical staff.
Air links are vital for trade in goods and services across the economy, and for supporting tourism. A key objective of Government continues to be the optimisation of the aviation sector evidenced the Action Plan for Jobs; supports for new start up companies or individual entrepreneurs to investigate the viability new business in the aviation sector; and supports for established companies or groups of businesses to examine the potential for expansion, diversification or spinning out of a new enterprise in the aviation industry.
Dublin airport is increasing passengers by 2 million people each year. The completion of the second terminal at the airport is generating significant additional passenger numbers and creating additional employment.
Road Transport - Road transport includes commercial trucking and road haulage, as well as commuter transport services (luas, urban and rural bus services, coach and taxi).
The Dublin light rail transit system known as the LUAS, is now ten years in operation.
Public Transport - The National Transport Authority is responsible for the supply of public transport services in Ireland (Luas, Dublin Bus, Bus Eireann and Iarnród Eireann).
Road haulage is the most common means of transporting freight in Ireland. Trucks - large, medium, and small, thousands of them - are on the move every day of the year.
This creates a large demand for manpower in this area. HGV drivers, mechanics, warehouse workers, and others are part of the Irish truck transportation and warehousing industry. Most work is full-time employment, but good part-time jobs are also available. Wages and benefits vary by the type of transportation system and its location. Only 1% of the truck drivers in Europe are women. Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) drivers are often self-employed and contract their services to companies.
How do you become a working member of the road haulage industry?
Transportation employers and haulage companies typically require that driver applicants be at least 18-years of age, have a good driving record, and have the ability to pass a written examination. Government and EU regulations also require most drivers of large trucks to hold a Commercial Driver's License (CDL) from their country of residence. Driver CPC (Certificate of Professional Competence) is now in place across the EU for professional bus and truck drivers.
Commuter transport includes such services as the LUAS, the bus service, motor coaches, taxis, and school buses - all require trained, safe drivers and operators as well as mechanics, dispatchers, and other support staff, to transport adults and children in urban and rural areas.
The Dublin light rail transit system known as the LUAS, is now ten years in operation. The service is run by a private operator, under contract through the Railway Procurement Agency (RPA). Occupations with Luas include drivers, engineers, mechanics and inspectors.
Transport employers typically require driver applicants to be at least 18-years of age and have a good driving record. Government regulations may require drivers of multi-passenger vehicles to hold a Commercial Driver's Licence. Driver CPC additionally applies since 2008. While no level of education is specified, the better the persons’ basic communication and numeric skills, the more attractive they are to any potential employer. Self-employment and small businesses are also common is this area.
Rail Transport - For over 100 years railroad transportation has moved both freight and passengers across Ireland. There is only firm in the railway sector in Ireland - Iarnrod Eireann, a subsidiary of CIE, employing 4,100 people - approximately 2,450 are in railway operations; 1,410 in infrastructure; 210 in central services; 20 in rail freight.
Rail freight is responsible for 1% of all freight goods transported in Ireland. Rail freight has been in decline - Iarnród Éireann transported 567,000 tonnes of freight in 2012, a fall of 7.2% compared to 2011.
There are plans to encourage greater use of rail, as a more sustainable mode of transport. Iarnrod Eireann has an aspiration to grow the rail freight business to represent 4-5% of the total freight market.
Goods transported by rail include raw materials such as ore and zinc, forestry products and consignments associated with the food and drink sector. The skills needed to facilitate this will, in the future, be mostly related to ICT as planning and management activities become increasingly computer-based. Greater use of the rail network and the need for efficiencies to improve intensity of use will in turn, call for greater analytical capabilities from managers and planners.
Iarnrod Eireann are investing heavily in upgrading railway lines in order to bring the rail transport network to international standard. The number expected to travel by rail is expected to rise substantially over the coming years, from 35 million (DART and Suburban rail, 24 million) to 54 million in 2022 (DART and Suburban rail, 36 million).
Careers in Rail Operations (Train drivers and operators; railroad brake, signal, and switch operators); Civil, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering; - are expected to slowly increase over the years ahead as the numbers using the trains expands. Support roles such as Human Resources, Finance, Marketing and I.T. are also available in the sector.
