Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 7 December 2023
29. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans for the restructuring and resourcing of An Bord Pleanála; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53917/23]
View answerAn 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.
The Planning and Development and Foreshore (Amendment) Act 2022, which was signed into law in December 2022, addressed certain initial matters which required immediate action on foot of the Action Plan for An Bord Pleanála, Phase 1 of the Office of the Planning Regulator Review of An Bord Pleanála, and other matters relating to addressing board vacancies and addressing the Board’s caseload, including:
• Increasing the limit on the maximum number of members of the Board from 10 to 15, so as to ensure that the increasing caseload can be managed, and the appropriate quorums and suitable allocation of casefiles can be assured, and
• Expanding the provision to appoint temporary ordinary board members to allow for the appointment of serving or former civil servants, public servants, or employees of the Board for a term of up to a year.
The total number of Board members in An Bord Pleanála is now 15, the maximum provided for under the legislation and the greatest number of serving Board members ever. The recruitment processes for both the appointment of a full-term Chairperson and full-term board members are currently ongoing and are due to be completed in Q1 2024. Temporary board members may continue to be appointed in the interim as vacancies arise.
As of the 31 October 2023 there are 249 people, including Board Members working in An Bord Pleanála, more than any time previously. Since October 2021, my Department has agreed to 117 new staffing posts (93 of these within the last 12 months) in the Board, 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, the Board submitted sanction requests for a total of 59 new posts, all of which were approved by my Department.
It is intended that when all the approved posts are filled, over 300 people will be employed by the Board. This will represent an increase in the overall agreed staffing at An Bord Pleanála to in excess of 50% since before 2021.
The Planning and Development Bill 2023 provides for the introduction of statutory mandatory timelines for all consent processes, including appeals and consent applications made to An Bord Pleanála. Timelines for the Board will be introduced on a phased basis, starting with those for Strategic Infrastructure Developments (including energy and transport projects).
The Bill also outlines the proposed new structure for the Board. The new Bill contains a number of provisions reflecting this new organisational structure and will clearly outline the separate roles of:-
• Planning Commissioners - who will be responsible for all decision making regarding appeals and applications made and they will be overseen by a newly created position of Chief Planning Commissioner.
• The Governing Board - which will be responsible for the governance and organisation.
• Corporate Spine – will provide support to all of the organisations and functions will be overseen by a Chief Executive Officer.
