Tánaiste Officially launches National Institute for Transport and Logistics

Tánaiste Mary Harney today (Wednesday 15th September, 1999) officially launched the National Institute for Transport and Logistics (NITL) in the Dublin Institute of Technology. The Tánaiste also launched the Access Dublin Initiative’s Report in which the NITL played a key role.

Speaking at the launch the Tánaiste said "The significance of our geographical location as a factor in the competitiveness of Irish business has long been recognised and has been frequently highlighted in recent times. The ability of Irish exporters to supply markets, with increasingly demanding logistical requirements, is, more and more, dependent on a greater level of transport expertise and skills. The establishment of the National Institute for Transport and Logistics is an initiative of my Department to support companies in Ireland in achieving competitive advantage and to help Ireland become a major international centre of logistics excellence."

I have been very impressed by the progress the Institute has made since its establishment. It clearly has no intention to be a remote, faceless, research body. Its objectives are far reaching and it has developed a matching range of services to achieve them. The Institute will support the achievement of competitive advantage in firms located in Ireland by creating a fundamental new resource for logistics and transport efficiency,"” the Tánaiste said.

The NITL offers information, training and education programmes, as well as facilitation and consultancy to manufacturing, process and service companies in Ireland. It also offers higher education programmes to school leavers in co-operation with the Dublin Institute of Technology to further increase the pool of skilled employees in Ireland. For the State Agencies, the Institute provides research and information to guide the policy decision making processes. And for organisations, such as ports and airports, that form the link between Irish companies and the international markets, the Institute offers best practice advice, information and consultancy.

The Tánaiste said "The NITL has already been effective in promoting a new awareness of the importance of transport and logistics. It has recently completed a major publicity campaign for its services on radio and has launched an impressive magazine entitled "Logistics Solutions", which is now on its third edition and which has achieved a circulation of 4,000. Behind the scenes, the NITL is working with Enterprise Ireland to identify the needs of indigenous companies sector by sector and to develop measures to bring them up the "logistics staircase". The Institute is also currently collaborating with a FAS sponsored study on the labour supply and demand needs of the transport and logistics sector. This work will feed into the deliberations of the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs."

An excellent example of the positive benefits of the NITL’s work for both individual companies, and Ireland as a whole, is the key project management role it played in the "Access Dublin" initiative. This initiative is aimed at improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the Port of Dublin through the involvement of relevant organisations both from the community and the business sector in the formulation of a strategic plan for the future of the port. The "Access Dublin" initiative’s Report, which is now available, recommends a number of core strategies to be pursued by all the companies in the port, for the benefit of not only those companies involved, but all companies in Ireland that use the port of Dublin,” the Tánaiste concluded.