Mr. John McCarthy:

The primary role of An Bord Pleanála is to decide on individual planning appeals, or in some cases single consents, so, for example, large-scale housing developments of more than 100 units go directly to An Bord Pleanála, into a one-stage process, but it is very much focused on individual cases. The regulator that is now being established is a response to the Mahon tribunal and it is provide independence of oversight and advice to the Minister in relation to things like zoning decisions and whether the Minister should exercise his power of intervention in relation to development plans and related issues. It is very much at the more macro level rather than the micro level. An Bord Pleanála deals with individual projects and decides whether they should get planning permission.