Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent)
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517. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his plans to introduce a statutory time limit on the length the time for all applications to An Bord Pleanála and specifically projects involving substantial investment in the economy in circumstances in which undue delay may be detrimental to the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51534/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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Under section 126 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, An Bord Pleanála has a statutory objective to determine normal planning appeals within 18 weeks of receipt of the appeal. Furthermore, under Section 37J of the Act, the Board has an objective to make a decision on applications for strategic infrastructure development within a period of 18 weeks, beginning on the last day for making submissions or observations.

Where the Board does not consider it possible or appropriate to reach a decision within 18 weeks (e.g. because of the particular complexities of a case 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.

In relation to housing developments specifically, the Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016 provides for new streamlined arrangements to enable planning applications for strategic housing developments, of 100 housing units or more or student accommodation developments of 200 bed spaces or more, to be made directly to the Board for determination within a period of 16 weeks.

The comprehensive Report of the Independent Review Group on the operations of An Bord Pleanála, published in March 2016, identifies over 100 recommendations, including recommendations to change the statutory objective timeframes for the work of the Board.

A high-level implementation group, with representatives from my Department and the Board, has been established to oversee implementation of the Review Group recommendations, some of which may require legislative underpinning. The recommendations in relation to the statutory objective periods within which the Board is expected to make decisions, including decisions on projects involving substantial investment in the economy, are being considered in this context.