Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Carey raises a very good point. It is about the resource of An Bord Pleanála to ensure it has the people it needs to process the work it has. I provided for an additional 42 posts over the last number of months at inspector level and senior level in the board to beef up the team there and speed up that work. I have received another workforce plan from the board for further resources that are required to work through what it has. We need an efficient planning system. We cannot have decisions delayed interminably in the board and I want to see that improved. We have made one very significant change, namely, the large-scale residential developments and bringing the strategic housing developments, SHDs, back to local authority level. That will free up some capacity too and ensure planning decisions are made at a local authority level first. Then if they must go to the board, they go to the board. The Deputy raises a very fair point.

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