State Bodies

Thursday, 11 May 2023

Questions (211, 212)

Eoin Ó Broin

Question:

211. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total number of staff employed by An Bord Pleanála; the number of staff full-time equivalents employed at each grade in the Bord; the average cost per grade and the total current expenditure on staff at the Bord. [22275/23]

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Eoin Ó Broin

Question:

212. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of additional posts sanctioned by his Department at An Bord Pleanála since January 2022; the grades approved; the number recruited; the annual cost of the staff recruited; and the full number sanctioned. [22276/23]

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Written answers

Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government (Deputy Darragh O'Brien)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 211 and 212 together.

An Bord Pleanála (the Board) is the national independent statutory body with responsibility for the determination of planning appeals and direct applications for strategic infrastructure and other developments under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, and certain other Acts.

Arrangements have been put in place by all bodies under the aegis of my Department to facilitate the provision of information directly to members of the Oireachtas. This provides a speedy, efficient and cost effective system to address queries directly to the relevant bodies. The contact email address for An Bord Pleanála in this regard is Oireachtasqueries@pleanala.ie.

The information requested is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders.

The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 51:

There are now more people working at An Bord Pleanála than at any time previously. Since October 2021, my Department has agreed to 117 new staffing posts in An Bord Pleanála, as detailed below.

• In October 2021, my Department approved an additional 24 posts across a range of technical and administrative grades including the setting up of a new Marine and Climate Unit.

• In December 2022, 34 additional posts were sanctioned, and the Board is in the process of filling these positions.

• In April 2023, An Bord Pleanála sought agreement for a total of 59 new posts, all of which were agreed by the Department. An Bord Pleanála submitted sanction approval requests for these positions and my Department has provided sanction approval for all 59 posts.

• Since October 2021 all of the above posts have been sanctioned by my Department. Of the posts listed above, 93 have been sanctioned since January 2022.

• An Bord Pleanála (the Board) is the national independent statutory body with responsibility for the determination of planning appeals and direct applications for strategic infrastructure and other developments under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, and certain other Acts.

• Arrangements have been put in place by all bodies under the aegis of my Department to facilitate the provision of information directly to members of the Oireachtas. This provides a speedy, efficient and cost effective system to address queries directly to the relevant bodies. The contact email address for An Bord Pleanála in this regard is Oireachtasqueries@pleanala.ie.

• In order to assist the Deputy, my Department obtained the information requested by the Deputy from An Bord Pleanála.

• An Bord Pleanála have advised that, as of 30th April 2023, 219 people are working in the Board (including Board Members). An Bord Pleanála have advised that the total salary costs for these posts from 1 January 2023 to 30th April 2023 is €4,739,000 and that the projected cost of salaries for 2023 is €17,769,000.

• Table 1 and Table 2 below list the number of staff full-time equivalents employed at each grade in the Bord and the average cost per grade as of 30th April 2023.

• Table 1: Board Membership at An Bord Pleanála at 30th April 2023

Board Member Grade ABP	FTE	PPC rate	Non-PPC rate
Chairperson	1	€227,369	€216,000
Deputy Chairperson	1	€155, 384	€147,614
Board Member	13	€135,478	€128,706
Estimated Current Total Salary (Board Membership @ PPC Rate)	15	€2,143,967

Table 2 Staffing at An Bord Pleanála as of 30 th April 2023

Staffing Grade ABP	FTE	Average Cost Per Grade	Grade Category
Chief Officer	1	€111,256 (non-PPC)	Principal Officer Higher
Director of Corporate Affairs	1	€103,605 (non-PPC)	Principal Officer
Director of Planning	2	€108,593	Senior Advisor
Assistant Director of Planning	4	€87,375	Engineer Grade I plus allowance
Senior Planning Inspector	40	€87,375	Engineer Grade I
Ecologist	1	€87,375	Engineer Grade I
Planning Inspector	24	€74,700	Engineer Grade II
Senior Administrative Officer	10	€83,625	Assistant Principal
Senior Executive Officer	19	€59,888	Higher Executive Officer
Executive Officer	54	€44,500	Executive Officer
Administrative Assistant	48	€35,458	Clerical Officer
Total	204	€12,235,828

Cumulative total of Table 1 and Table 2	219	€14,379,795

Table 3 below lists the number of posts sanctioned by the Department at An Bord Pleanála since January 2022 and the grades approved. The number recruited as of 30th April 2023 has been provided by An Bord Pleanála. An Bord Pleanála have advised that they have made offers to prospective candidates for the filling of some of the sanctioned posts.

Table 3: Grades Sanctioned and filled in An Bord Pleanála as of 30 th April 2023.

Grades sanctioned Since January 2022	Number of Each Grade Sanctioned	Number of each grade filled
Assistant Director of Planning	1
Senior Planning Inspector	25	6
Planning Inspector	12
Senior Administrative Officer	1
Senior Executive Officer Specialist	2
Senior Executive Officer	5	1
Executive Officer	20
Administrative Assistant	21	2
Director of Marine Planning	1	1
Director of Legal Affairs	1	1 *Offer accepted and position due to be filled in June 2023.
Ethics Officer	1
Director of Transformation	1
Marine Specialists	2

Question No. 212 answered with Question No. 211.