Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 3 October 2019

Public Accounts Committee

2018 Financial Statements of An Bord Pleanála

9:00 am

Mr. Dave Walsh:

We have to go back to the remit of the board. The SHD legislation was to fast-track planning decisions. That is what we have done. It is not the board's job, and indeed people might argue that the board would be going way beyond its remit if it started taking over what either the Department or planning authorities do. The Deputy mentioned before about making sure there was a local process, and that is the system that the board feeds into. We make fast-track planning decisions and then the system has to ensure that there are sufficient mechanisms to drive development that happens on foot of it. We have approved 16,000 units and 7,500 or 8,000 student bed spaces. Many of those are being built. It is a matter for the Department and the Minister to review to ensure that there is up-to-date information. That is something that Mr. Sheridan might want to speak on.

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