Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

We should retain the provisions of section 5 in the new section 8. We are looking at the numbers. Resources are always a big issue. Resources have been a consistent theme in our meetings with An Bord Pleanála, the Planning Regulator and the representatives who are before us today. We met representatives of local government and regional assemblies on Tuesday. They reported that approximately 541 planners are needed at local authority level. I do not know how An Bord Pleanála is operating with only 206 staff. It probably needs to increase its staff by 50% or more. The Office of the Planning Regulator is doing exceptionally good work and probably needs further resources because there are further obligations. Regional planning is understated but very important. A rough, back-of-the-envelope calculation is that somewhere in and around 700 extra planning staff are needed. Whether they are planners, ecologists or experts in European law, where will we get them from? How many are coming out of college in Ireland, bearing in mind it takes a long time to become competent and experienced? Are there similar jurisdictions from where we could poach - for want of a better word - planners?