Ms Maria Graham:

An important distinction between board members of An Bord Pleanála and other boards is that An Bord Pleanála offers full-time positions. While other members of State boards tend to be part-time these are full-time positions. People are in the offices in Marlborough Street five days a week so it is full-time employment. They go through almost 3,000 cases a year which is approximately 10% of all cases. Approximately 30,000 cases go through the planning system each year. It is a serious job and requires all the qualities the Deputy mentioned. It is a job that has seen increasing complexity with the nexus between planning and environmental law. That is why increasing the scale is important to ensure people have the capacity to deal with that increase.

In respect of the process, we expect the skills on the committee to be defined by regulation. As Deputy Ó Broin mentioned, there is a committee for the appointment of the chair which lists out specific people who would be involved. It is broadly the same principle. In choosing the potential skills mix we hope to have a holistic set of different views.

If I have a few minutes I will answer the question about the temporary staff which is related. We were asked why we were bringing this Bill forward now. It is important that we increase the numbers, not only to reach 15, but to get to the nine ordinary members that are there at the moment. That is why we are moving forward with this in advance of the main planning Bill which we have had engagement on. We expect to see that Bill before the end of the year, but it will have to go through its own process. That is why we are looking at this. In the interim, the process is under way for temporary people to be appointed by the Minister so we hope that will be concluded quite quickly.