Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

-----that An Bord Pleanála can make quicker decision and better quality planning decisions, which is most important. Under section 126 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, the board has a statutory objective to determine planning appeals and other relevant cases within 18 weeks. Where the board does not consider it possible or appropriate to reach a decision within 18 weeks, for example because of the particular complexities of a case, such as environmental or habitat related complexities, the impacts of a proposed development on environmentally designated lands requiring careful consideration, or the requirement to hold an oral hearing, it will inform the parties of the reasons for this, and will indicate when it intends to make its decision. It is acknowledged that there has been a reduction generally in the board’s compliance rate in determining cases within the statutory objective period over the past year which can be attributed to a number of factors, including a general increase in cases received by the board. For example, there was an increase of almost 12% in the number of normal planning appeals received in 2017 compared to 2016. This caseload intake has continued to further increase in 2018.

On large housing developments, it is important to note that new streamlined arrangements have been introduced to enable planning applications for strategic housing developments, SHDs, to be made directly to the board. People often ask us if this is the reason other applications take longer.It is not the case because additional staff have been employed for that. At the end of November 2018, 47 strategic housing development planning applications had been made with the board issuing decisions in 36 cases, all of which were made within the prescribed 16 week timeframe, delivering a 100% compliance rate in these cases and giving permission for a total of 6,761 houses and apartments and 4,479 student accommodation bed spaces. It is important to mention the students because we have many future third-level college students here in the Gallery. It is important that they know there will be student bed spaces in the years to come and that is why it is important that we put that planning in place today.

In addition, planning appeals in respect of housing developments of 30 units or more are prioritised, reflecting the priority attached to housing developments by the board. With regard to resourcing, the board currently has a complement of 11 members, including an extra board member engaged in June 2018 and a new chairperson who took up duty on 30 October 2018, and employs over 150 staff members. Taking this and the increased Exchequer grant of €18.5 million for the board in 2019, a 7% increase on the 2018 budget, into account, I am satisfied that the board has sufficient and necessary resources to perform its statutory functions. My Department will continue to monitor and liaise closely with the board to ensure that it has the appropriate resources to support it in the performance of its functions and so that decisions are made in an efficient and timely manner. I cannot comment specifically on the Senator's case in Mayo but the Minister, Deputy Murphy, and I believe that the resources are now in place for the board to be able to improve the timeline. Hopefully that will lead to a decision very soon on that very worthy project that the Senator has highlighted.