The Housing Minister, Darragh O’Brien, has declared a temporary increase in the limit of ordinary board members in An Bord Pleanála from 14 to 17. This move is designed to alleviate the volume of cases currently being dealt with by the board. Eight new full-term ordinary board members have been named, following an open recruitment policy, expected to occupy their posts from 2nd September.
The planning body has been experiencing issues stemming from a scandal that culminated in the resignation of its previous deputy chairman, Paul Hyde, in July 2022. Hyde was handed a suspended jail term last November for not declaring certain property interests. Subsequently, former chairman Dave Walsh retired early “due to personal and family reasons” four months post Hyde’s departure.
On Monday, the Department of Housing noted that consequent to unfolding events in 2022, An Bord Pleanála has faced considerable resourcing strain, especially at the board level. This scarcity in board membership resulted in a significant pile-up of case files to be resolved in 2023 and beyond.
Nonetheless, substantial progress has been made in clearing the backlog of cases, owing to a full board compliment. This recent raising of the board member cap will permit the continued contribution of temporary board members to support their newly instated full-term colleagues with decisions, allowing for an acclimation period to their roles and understanding of procedures.
Mr. O’Brien commented on the recent challenges of the board but maintained that, with the assistance of several interim board members, stability has been restored.
The new ordinary board members of the board will include Declan Moore, Liam McGree, Marie O’Connor, Mary Gurrie, Mary Henchy, Mary Rose Mc Govern, Mick Long, and Paul Caprani.