Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The way I think it will work is that it will be an open competition run by the Public Appointments Service which will make a recommendation to the Minister on a number of names that have been prioritised through that process and the Minister will make a recommendation to Government seeking approval. It is also clear that a person shall not be appointed for a term of office as planning regulator more than twice. It is a five-year term. In general, I am a believer in turnover on these things in terms of bringing in fresh thinking. That is not always appropriate but it is something that should be encouraged. From my perspective, there will be a ministerial input into finalising the choice of person here but it will be an open competition managed by the Public Appointments Service to get the best person. I would be surprised if there was not a lot of interest in this role.

On the annual report, section 4(31AH) provides that:

(1) The Office shall, not later than the 30th day of June in each year, prepare an annual report, which shall include information on the performance of its functions and its principal activities during the preceding year, including any matter to which section 31Q relates, and such other matters as the Minister may specify to the Office in writing.

(2) The Planning Regulator shall cause a copy of the annual report to be laid before each House of the Oireachtas and shall cause a copy to be sent to the relevant Oireachtas Committee.

(3) The Planning Regulator shall, at the request in writing of the relevant Oireachtas Committee, attend before it to account for matters in relation to its annual report.

In this section, the relevant Oireachtas committee is this committee. In fact, it is not just this committee. In section 4(31AH)(4) it states that the relevant committee "means a Committee appointed by either House of the Oireachtas or jointly by both Houses of the Oireachtas to which has been duly assigned the role of examining matters relating to environment and planning (other than the Committee of Public Accounts or the Committee on Members’ Interests of Dáil Éireann or the Committee on Members’ Interests of Seanad Éireann) or a sub-committee of such a relevant Oireachtas Committee". The regulator is fairly accountable.