Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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271. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the amount incurred by An Bord Pleanála in legal and consultant fees in each of the years 2018 to 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55514/21]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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An Bord Pleanála's expenditure on legal fees and consultancy services is a matter for the Board. It should be noted that arrangements have been put in place by all bodies under the aegis of my Department to facilitate the provision of information directly to members of the Oireachtas. This provides a speedy, efficient and cost effective system to address queries directly to the relevant bodies. The contact email address for An Bord Pleanála in this regard is Oireachtasqueries@pleanala.ie.

In order to assist the Deputy, my Department requested and received the information sought by the Deputy from An Bord Pleanála, which is set out in the table following.

Sections 120 and 124 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000 (as amended) allows the Board to employ and engage persons, consultants and advisors in a part time capacity to be renumerated by fees, as it considers necessary for the performance of its functions. The Board is required, under Section 124(2) of the Planning & Development Act, 2000 (as amended), to include a statement on the names of the persons engaged under Section 124 as Consultants or Advisors in its Annual Report.

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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272. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he is satisfied that all external services and consultants retained by An Bord Pleanála have been procured in accordance with the relevant procurement law; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55515/21]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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An Bord Pleanála's expenditure on consultancy services and external services is a matter for the Board. It should be noted that arrangements have been put in place by all bodies under the aegis of my Department to facilitate the provision of information directly to members of the Oireachtas. This provides a speedy, efficient and cost effective system to address queries directly to the relevant bodies. The contact email address for An Bord Pleanála in this regard is Oireachtasqueries@pleanala.ie.

An Bord Pleanála has confirmed it has procedures in place to ensure compliance with current procurement rules and guidelines. During 2020, An Bord Pleanála identified two areas, relating to archive facilities and the recording of oral hearing services, where it acknowledged that there was not full compliance with procurement requirements. The Board indicated in its Annual Report that it would follow up on the tendering of these contracts this year.