European Maritime Day 2025

21–23 May 2025 | Cork, Ireland

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Maritime Area Regulatory Authority

Authority/Government

www.maritimeregulator.ie/Wexford, Ireland
1 profile visit

About

The Maritime Area Regulatory Authority, or MARA, is a state agency established on 17th July 2023. MARA’s functions are set out in the Maritime Area Planning Acts 2021 and 2022, it has a key role to play in the Ireland's streamlined authorisations system for the maritime area, including:

  • Assessing Maritime Area Consent (MAC) applications for the maritime area, which are required by developers before development permission can be granted;

  • Granting marine licencing for specified activities;

  • Compliance and enforcement of MACs, licences and offshore development consents;

  • Investigations and prosecutions;

  • Administration of the existing Foreshore consent portfolio;

  • Fostering & promoting co-operation between regulators of the maritime area.

MARA is a body under the aegis of the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and is located in Wexford.

Maritime Policy - Horizontal themes

Ocean governanceMaritime security & surveillanceMaritime spatial planningMarine environment & conservationCoastal protectionOcean research and innovationOcean literacy

Blue Economy

Others

Representatives

Mark Mellett

Company Founder

Maritime Area Regulatory Authority

Laura Brien

CEO

Maritime Area Regulatory Authority