Results 7,121-7,140 of 20,088 for speaker:Brian Stanley

Public Accounts Committee: 2019 Financial Statements of An Bord Pleanála (13 May 2021)

Brian Stanley: We are going over time.

Public Accounts Committee: 2019 Financial Statements of An Bord Pleanála (13 May 2021)

Brian Stanley: A brief answer.

Public Accounts Committee: 2019 Financial Statements of An Bord Pleanála (13 May 2021)

Brian Stanley: I must warn the Deputy not to deal with specific cases.

Public Accounts Committee: 2019 Financial Statements of An Bord Pleanála (13 May 2021)

Brian Stanley: Has the case been decided?

Public Accounts Committee: 2019 Financial Statements of An Bord Pleanála (13 May 2021)

Brian Stanley: The Deputy's time is up.

Public Accounts Committee: 2019 Financial Statements of An Bord Pleanála (13 May 2021)

Brian Stanley: We seem to have lost contact with Mr. Walsh.

Public Accounts Committee: 2019 Financial Statements of An Bord Pleanála (13 May 2021)

Brian Stanley: The clock is stopped. Mr. Walsh has reconnected.

Public Accounts Committee: 2019 Financial Statements of An Bord Pleanála (13 May 2021)

Brian Stanley: The time is up.

Public Accounts Committee: 2019 Financial Statements of An Bord Pleanála (13 May 2021)

Brian Stanley: I call Deputy Devlin.

Public Accounts Committee: 2019 Financial Statements of An Bord Pleanála (13 May 2021)

Brian Stanley: Deputy Devlin should be brief.

Public Accounts Committee: 2019 Financial Statements of An Bord Pleanála (13 May 2021)

Brian Stanley: I call on Mr. Walsh to respond.

Public Accounts Committee: 2019 Financial Statements of An Bord Pleanála (13 May 2021)

Brian Stanley: The Deputy has one minute remaining.

Public Accounts Committee: 2019 Financial Statements of An Bord Pleanála (13 May 2021)

Brian Stanley: I do not know whether Deputies Hourigan or MacSharry have joined us but I will ask some questions myself. If members want to come in for a second round of questions, I will allow two minutes each. I ask them to raise their hand and I will take speakers in the order that the requests are made. I have some questions for Mr. Walsh on the legal fees, which increased from €1.5 million...

Public Accounts Committee: 2019 Financial Statements of An Bord Pleanála (13 May 2021)

Brian Stanley: Okay. In terms of the increase in legal fees, the Vote from the Exchequer, that is, the taxpayers' money that goes to An Bord Pleanála, is in the region of €18 million per year. We are getting close to 50% of that going in legal fees alone. As the cathaoirleach of An Bord Pleanála, is Mr. Walsh concerned about the sharp escalation in legal costs?

Public Accounts Committee: 2019 Financial Statements of An Bord Pleanála (13 May 2021)

Brian Stanley: Could I ask Mr. Walsh this question? The main driver for the increased legal fees appears to be the strategic housing developments. Mr. Walsh conceded that. An Bord Pleanála is losing nine out of ten of the cases that are appealed and its decisions are overturned. Would that not tell Mr. Walsh that there is some deficiency within the decision-making process, given the extra cost that...

Public Accounts Committee: 2019 Financial Statements of An Bord Pleanála (13 May 2021)

Brian Stanley: I put it to Mr. Walsh that prior to the strategic housing developments there was a system whereby the local authority members had a plan, they would take counsel from the local professional planners working on behalf of the county manager or the CEO of the council, as they are now called, and make a determination on it. There may have been flaws in it but the system existed. Individual...

Public Accounts Committee: 2019 Financial Statements of An Bord Pleanála (13 May 2021)

Brian Stanley: I understand that but surely, if we are heading for 50% of the budget of An Bord Pleanála being spent defending court cases and if it is losing 90% of them regarding strategic housing developments, that would tell me that not only is there bad value for money but also that the system is seriously flawed. My final question is about SHDs too. I know the board does not monitor...

Public Accounts Committee: 2019 Financial Statements of An Bord Pleanála (13 May 2021)

Brian Stanley: I thank Mr. Walsh. It is something that this House will have to have a view on because it is a system that has shown itself to be deficient.

Public Accounts Committee: 2019 Financial Statements of An Bord Pleanála (13 May 2021)

Brian Stanley: Very briefly.

Public Accounts Committee: 2019 Financial Statements of An Bord Pleanála (13 May 2021)

Brian Stanley: Briefly, Deputy.