MARA and Critical Infrastructure

The Critical Infrastructure Act 2026 (No. 16 of 2026) was signed into law on June 25, 2026, and commenced on July 17, 2026, to fast-track the delivery of major State-backed infrastructure projects in Ireland.

Under section 5, relevant public bodies, without prejudice to their functions under any other enactment, are obliged to:

1. prioritise the performance of its relevant functions over the performance of its other functions that are not relevant functions,
2. take all necessary steps in the performance of its relevant functions to act in an expeditious manner and to avoid undue delays in the delivery of a critical infrastructure project or critical infrastructure programme,
3. ensure that it takes such steps as are necessary and appropriate to reduce the time required for its processes relating to an authorisation to be completed,
4. in so far as practicable, activate and advance the performance of its relevant functions at the same time as the activation and advancement of the performance of relevant functions by any other relevant public body, to reduce the time required for its processes relating to an authorisation to be completed,
5. cooperate with any other relevant public body for the purposes of—

1. 1. coordinating, prioritising and sequencing the performance of their respective relevant functions, and
   2. identifying and managing—
      1. any risks and constraints relating to such coordination, prioritisation and sequencing, and
      2. the extent to which the critical infrastructure project or critical infrastructure programme concerned is dependent on other projects or programmes,

and

f. allocate, as appropriate, administrative, technical and decision-making resources to facilitate the carrying out by it of its duties under paragraphs (a) to (e).

MARA’s approach to implementing the Critical Infrastructure Act 2026

 

MARA has operated a Prioritisation System across its Maritime Area Consent and Maritime Usage Licensing directorates prior to the publication of the Critical State Infrastructure Act 2026.

A review of our Application Prioritisation Matrix (this will link to other page) was completed to align our system with the requirements of the Critical Infrastructure Act.

Following the designation of 9 projects under the act in the areas of Transport, Water and Energy, MARA conducted a review of these projects as to whether they have a potential interaction with the maritime area, either in terms of requirements for a Maritime Area Consents (MACs) or Maritime Usage Licences (MULs).

Nine projects designated as critical infrastructure under the Critical Infrastructure Act