Written answers
Wednesday, 6 December 2023
Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government
State Bodies
Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
107. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if the final report of the External Scoping Exercise into certain matters pertaining to An Bord Pleanála by a person (details supplied) has been completed to-date; the details of any interim reports provided to-date; the timeline for the publication of the final report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54205/23]
Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
An Bord Pleanála (ABP) is a quasi-judicial body which carries out its statutory functions independently of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
An Bord Pleanála appointed an external reviewer, Ms. Lorna Lynch, Senior Counsel, to carry out a scoping investigation into certain matters.
An Bord Pleanála have advised that, in conducting this scoping investigation, Ms. Lynch will be provided with the material which was gathered and collated by members of the senior management team who were involved in the preparation of the Internal An Bord Pleanála Report in 2022. The Senior Counsel has also been asked to consider the relevant Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR) recommendations, following the completed and published OPR reviews of An Bord Pleanála.
Ms. Lynch's scoping investigation and report is entirely a matter for An Bord Pleanála who initiated this exercise. 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.
No comments