Olivia Mitchell
Question:4 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he has satisfied himself that An Bord Pleanála has the resources necessary to fulfil its functions. [31211/01]
Ceisteanna–Questions. Priority Questions. - An Bord Pleanála.
I am satisfied that An Bord Pleanála has the necessary resources to fulfil its functions. My Department and the board have been assessing, on an ongoing basis, a range of measures to enable the board to process appeals more expeditiously and to discharge the new functions transferred to it in accordance with the provisions of the Planning and Development Act, 2000. As a result, significant additional staffing and financial resources have been allocated to the board. In July 2000, I approved an increase of 29 additional staff consisting of nine professional planners and 20 administrative staff. An additional four administrative staff were approved in July 2001, bringing the authorised staff complement, excluding board members, to 138. This is an increase of 53 since July 1997.
When publishing the board's annual report for 2000 on 22 November 2001, the chairman indicated that the exceptional measures taken by the board to deal with the difficulties in recruiting and retaining trained planners were now proving effective and would significantly assist in reducing the time taken to process appeals. The board has engaged the services of 79 individual planners to provide professional planning reports on the smaller types of appeals on a fee-per-case basis in relation to the smaller appeals. In addition, the board has entered into contracts with seven private consultancy firms to provide reports on the larger cases. It has also set up a panel of consultants to hold hearings and make reports on motorway schemes, compulsory purchase orders and other procedures newly devolved to it where public infrastructure is concerned. I have also appointed three new members to the board, which will have the effect of increasing the number of board members to 12 from the beginning of 2002.
I anticipate that all these measures will enable the board to eliminate the backlog of appeal cases by mid-2002 as well as to discharge effectively its new functions where major infrastructural projects are concerned.
The Minister asked what planet I am on. I wonder the same about him. Nothing has changed in An Bord Pleanála. People must still wait eight to ten months for decisions.
A question, please.
Is the Minister aware that the effect of the additional responsibilities on An Bord Pleanála concerning motorway orders, environmental impact statement assessments and ordinary road orders made by local authorities means such bodies are now caught up in the delays in An Bord Pleanála? This was supposed to be the new streamlined planning system which would deliver the infrastructure. Does the Minister realise decisions have already been postponed not once but twice in some cases and the board has only these responsibilities a few months? Does he believe any of these problems and the backlog can be eliminated and some form of a reasonable planning system put in place against a background where he is reducing the budget for An Bord Pleanála by a massive 13%? That does not take into account inflation.
The Deputy should be aware that the 13% reduction to which she referred relates to capital rather than current expenditure.
It is overall.
No, it relates to capital expenditure of the board. In addition, the board took on the new transferred functions from 1 January last year. The Deputy's information is incorrect.
It is correct.
The board held 20 oral hearings at public local inquiries into projects and a further ten oral hearings at public local inquiries are arranged.
How many determinations has the board made?
The board has issued decisions on 61 projects.
People must still wait eight to ten months for a decision.
That is not true.
I can give the Minister facts and figures.
The Deputy should check her facts.