Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 1318: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will investigate whether the make-up of the board of An Bord Pleanála is in accordance with the spirit and letter of the Act which established it; if he is satisfied that the number of professional planners on the board is in accordance with the intention that its make-up should represent the general interest; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1052/08]

James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 1332: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the composition of An Bord Pleanála, which under the establishment order was intended to be representative of all sectors of Irish society, with reference to the composition of rural organisations (details supplied). [1270/08]

James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 1333: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the position regarding the ten ordinary members of the current board of An Bord Pleanála's non-expert members; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1271/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1318, 1332 and 1333 together.

An Bord Pleanála (the Board) was established in 1977, under the Local Government (Planning and Development) Act, 1976, primarily to allow independent consideration of planning authorities' decisions on planning applications in the event that such decisions are appealed. The procedures for the appointment of ordinary members of An Bord Pleanála are set out in the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended by Sections 14-16 of the Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Act 2006. In addition, Article 11 of the Planning and Development Regulations, 2006 amended the list of prescribed bodies for the purposes of making nominations to the Board. These provisions require selections to be made by the Minister from nominees put forward by four representative panels of nominating bodies prescribed for this purpose. The composition of each panel is listed in the table below. The current Board includes appointees from each of the four representative panels. Appointees to the Board do not represent their nominating body, but are appointed to provide, as a function of the Board, an independent consideration of planning authorities' decisions submitted to the Board on appeal. I am satisfied that the current nomination and appointment processes are fair and transparent. Furthermore, as the legislative provisions underpinning these processes have only recently been endorsed by the Oireachtas, I have no proposals to make any further amendments at this time.