Mr. Niall Cussen:

We completed a strategic workforce plan last year. We are a national body trying to keep an overview of 31 local authority development plans and approximately 200 other statutory plans. We are reviewing the planning functions of all of the planning authorities and the board. We also undertake research. We formed the view that our current approved complement of 31 full-time equivalents would be very challenged in discharging these functions on an ongoing basis and that a significant increase in this number would be required to make the organisation sustainable, particularly bearing in mind the normal turnover of staff and sick leave. In an organisation of 31 people, if three people do not turn up on any given day, that is 10%. If six people are not available it is 20% and one really starts to feel the pain. We are in the process of recruiting an additional nine roles out of the approximately 30 that we sought in total. We are in a process of engagement with the Department.

I have to say I have found the Department quite responsive and good on ensuring our staffing and resourcing needs are met. Obviously the Department has to engage in the context of wider public sector numbers. While there are many demands and we recognise this, we see the implementation in full of our workforce plan as being a de minimisposition to discharge our function as the overseer of the Irish planning system.