Mr. Paul Hogan:

Resources are a bigger picture issue for all professions, in particular the planning profession, planning and development, and all that goes with it. We are also very interested, in line with our broader planning responsibilities, to ensure that the planning system is adequately resourced to fulfil its functions. In parallel with this review, we initiated a review of resources with the local government sector. That review looked at both current and emerging responsibilities for the sector with a view to identifying resources. First, we cannot very much talk about resources until we know where the gaps and needs are. That was the first stage.

Other things need to be done on foot of that. We followed on and have secured funding for this year and we will be seeking to ramp this up in future years as we develop the programme but initial priorities are to fill the urgent vacant posts that can be filled around the country. A fund is available for that and we are discussing with local authorities how best to disburse that.

Part of the reality is that if one was to look to recruit certain professionals, particularly planning professionals, it is not an easy task because there are not the graduates and experienced professionals there. To a certain extent local authorities are cannibalising each other, which creates a degree of instability in the system. That is not the sole answer, which is why we are looking at working with third level institutions to consider how to broaden the intake of people into planning, in the first instance. The two undergraduate schools in Ireland have both increased their intake at undergraduate level to do that, but we need to look more widely at opportunities for people who are experienced in environmental-related professions to train as planners and to put a programme in place where those people can possibly be sponsored by an employer or secure employment for a time after they graduate, if the employer funds the education. All of those things are in the mix. The option of seeking to recruit people from overseas which was done in the past is a possibility but given that there is a worldwide shortage, as this committee has heard, it is not as straightforward. All those measures will be considered.

Finally, in the local government sector, there is also a wider strategic look at efficiency, productivity and all of that. There is a need, first of all, to consider the opportunities which come from legislation through things like e-planning and, perhaps, longer time periods, with the ability to focus on more important things. In that context, a strategic workforce planning review is being undertaken more widely in the local government sector. There is also the opportunity for training and development. The Office of the Planning Regulator has a function with regard to training and development. This is then to look back up the pipeline with regard to what existing professionals in local authorities, and indeed others, can do better.

An Bord Pleanála is next We are again working closely with the board which is developing - and which we are just concluding - a process to bring board membership up to 15 members. The Minister will be announcing those appointments very shortly. The board currently has a membership of ten, which is an increase since its chair appeared before the committee on a previous occasion. We have engaged in a process this week which is ongoing, and has not yet concluded, but which will very shortly bring the membership of the board to 15 members.

The board is also looking at its workforce plan. We have approved what it has asked for and, again, there has been some misinformation about larger numbers being asked for that have been approved. That is not the case. Everything that has been asked for by the Department has been approved in 2021 and 2022 for the next year’s workforce plan. The board is now up to 210 staff members.

In the context of the need to clear the backlog and to address the large workload, we will obviously be looking very closely, together with the new marine functions, at what the board submits to us very shortly; we have yet to receive that but, as I said, we are in contact constant contact with it.