Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank our guests for being here. My own experience with the planning process is from being a local authority member for quite some time. It happened from time to time, albeit rarely, that the county councillors, through whatever mechanisms, would vote to overturn recommendations from planners. That was considered to be an incredibly serious matter. The process for that involved councillors meeting in public session and the rationale in terms of the proposition to take a different course than recommended being clearly outlined. The positions of each councillor would be then minuted and the votes identified in the minutes. It would be extensively reported in local media. There is a very good chance there would be a "Prime Time" special broadcast and everyone would know the positions and rationales of the local authority members. At the end of the day, local communities could pass judgment on those who had made the decision.

I want to use that example as a comparison to get a full understanding of how An Bord Pleanála operates. My understanding is that there are nine members of the board. Is that correct?