Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have engaged with Mr. Niall Cussen on taking office. Like all Departments and sectors, especially within the construction sector and within local authorities, there is a competitive process to get skilled talent and graduates form the various universities that qualify these types of professionals. There is always a competition in a vacancy. We are looking to increase the number of planners within local authorities at present. To date, 66 out of 101 posts have been filled at local authority level and we are actively looking to fill the remaining vacancies. That is the same for the Office of the Planning Regulator and for other areas as well. I have talked to the Department of further and higher education as to how we can look at other third level universities and colleges to increase their intake and to ensure we have a steady pipeline of planners into the future.