The country’s seafood industry will have much to celebrate and many challenges to ponder in Galway this coming weekend when Bord Iascaigh Mhara holds its second maritime festival.

Ireland’s maritime economy is growing nearly twice as fast as the general economy. And the importance of harnessing the ocean, even more, will be highlighted at a major conference next month.

Ireland’s tax regime for oil and gas exploration is to be reformed, with future discoveries taxed according to their scale and value.