Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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1365. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the progress that has been made in the establishment of the planning regulator, the recruitment of staff and securing of office space; the timeline for the opening and commencement of operations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36213/18]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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The Planning & Development (Amendment) Act 2018 was signed into law by the President on 19 July 2018. One of the key elements of the Act is the legal base it provides for the establishment of the Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR).

My Department is advancing the work necessary to allow me to establish the Office as soon as possible. An Advance OPR Establishment team has been created within my Department to drive the necessary work for the corporate establishment of the OPR and the appointment of the Regulator. In that regard, the team have been progressing the recruitment competition and I expect the Public Appointments Service to advertise the position of the Planning Regulator later this month.  In addition, interim premises have been secured for the OPR on Sir John Rogerson's Quay in Dublin, pending the making of long-term leasing arrangements.

It is intended to add additional staffing supports to the advance team over the coming months to facilitate the smooth transition of work from my Department to the OPR and to finalise the work of corporate establishment. Once the Regulator is recruited and in place, I will then be in a position to formally establish the Office and to second a small team of staff to the Office to ensure that the core functions can be fulfilled from its inception. I expect that the Regulator will then begin recruiting the rest of the staff required to fulfil its statutory mandate.

I look forward to the appointment of the Planning Regulator and the full establishment of the Office as an important measure to help promote and safeguard the quality and integrity of the planning process.