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

I thank Deputy O'Sullivan. Deputy Devlin tabled the question and I thank Deputy O'Sullivan for standing in in his stead.

An Bord Pleanála, as the Deputy knows, is the national independent statutory body with responsibility for the determination of planning appeals and direct applications for strategic infrastructure and other developments under the Planning and Development Act 2000 and certain other acts. Section 104 of the Planning and Development Act as amended provides for the temporary increase in the maximum number of ordinary board members that may be appointed to the board by way of ministerial order. On 20 August this year I signed the Planning and Development (Increase in maximum number of Ordinary Board Members of An Bord Pleanála) Order 2024, which increased the maximum number from 14 to 17. This order will remain in effect until 1 January 2025. This increase in the maximum number of board members will allow for the continued support of temporary board members until year end, to assist their newly-appointed full-term colleagues through the decision-making process, while they gain much-needed experience in the role and knowledge of procedures allowing for the continued progress and the reduction of cases on hand within the board.

One area that I have engaged with the board directly on is its continued progress working through the backlogs it has. When An Bord Pleanála was going through many difficulties that were in the public domain, we had as few as five board members at one stage. We have appointed the first tranche of new board members as well. I have appointed nine new board members through the new public appointments process which was allowed for under the Act. The provision of the additional board members will allow that transition between the new board members and the temporary members who are in place, who were appointed from other areas of the Civil Service. I thank them for the work that they have done. I continue to support the board and the work it is doing to reduce the backlog and to get back to normal business where we can see planning decisions being made and being given in a very timely fashion, which has not happened heretofore in many instances. They are making progress on that backlog.

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