Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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132. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if the staffing and resources available to the MARA are sufficient to enable the agency to adequately perform its statutory functions to validate, assess and issue MACs and MULs in a timely manner. [45869/25]

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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The 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, MARA is currently actively recruiting and is expected to have a staff complement of 68 by end year.