Ireland's Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien has confirmed the establishment of the Marine Accident Investigation Unit (MAIU) within the Irish Department of Transport (DOT).
From January 1, 2026, the MAIU has replaced the Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) as the permanent body responsible for marine accident investigations.
The MAIU will also take over ongoing MCIB investigations.
The MAIU will carry out marine safety investigations into accidents involving vessels in Irish waters, and Irish-flagged vessels anywhere in the world.
Establishment of the MAIU means that Ireland will now have a body staffed with a full-time, permanent team of investigators for marine accidents. The DOT said this is in line with best practice internationally, and mirrors existing practice in aviation and railway accident investigations in the state.
This new unit has been established under the Merchant Shipping (Investigation of Marine Accidents) Act 2025, which also dissolves the MCIB, repeals the Merchant Shipping (Investigation of Marine Casualties) Act 2000, and revokes the European Communities (Merchant Shipping) (Investigation of Accidents) Regulations 2011.