Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Whether the figure is 27% or 45%, it is bad. I am not going to argue with that. What are we doing about it? A full complement of board members has now been appointed and the board has sanction for 300 additional staff. We know more staff are needed. Today, we published the Planning and Development Bill 2023, which will make the deadlines for decision statutory. It will no longer be the case that An Bord Pleanála can just look for more information or more time. It will have to make decisions within the specified timeframe.

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