Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 June 2025
162. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if the staffing and resources available to the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority are sufficient to enable the agency to adequately perform its statutory functions to validate, assess and issue maritime area consent and marine usage licences in a timely manner. [32827/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Maritime Area Regulatory Authority (MARA) is the statutory body responsible for regulation in the maritime area.
Section 64(1) of the Maritime Area Planning Act 2021 provides that the MARA may, with the consent of the Minister and approval of the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, appoint such and so many persons to be members of staff as the Authority may determine.
The allocation of approved staff is a matter for the MARA. The MARA has a budget of €5.16m toward payroll related costs and I am advised that, recruiting within the confines of an approved Workforce Plan, it is estimated that it will have a staff complement of 68 by end year.
The MARA is actively recruiting staff to enhance its ability to perform its statutory functions. MARA's structural growth is being informed by learnings from its first two years of operation and by the demand for its services. Taking those learnings into consideration, my Department recently approved a request by the MARA to amend its current workforce plan grade structure, within its current pay allocation, to better reflect the operational needs of the Authority.
