Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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1196. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government , further to Parliamentary Question No. 495 of 1 April 2025, when Meath County Council will have the requisite resources and expertise to carry out its statutory planning functions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19201/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is currently working on a number of measures to increase staffing levels in the local government planning sector. In this regard, my Department is collaborating with the Local Government Management Agency on the delivery of a programme of supports to planning authorities. These supports include the provision of staffing resources and expertise to enable planning authorities to perform their functions efficiently and effectively.

In October 2023, my Department conveyed approval to the filling of an initial 100 posts, subsequently increased to 101 posts, in the local authority planning sector under the first tranche of a programme of supports for planning resources. A further approval issued in January 2025 for 56 graduate planner posts and 56 staff officer posts to support the Planning function within local authorities.

To date, under these supports, four additional planning staff were approved for Meath County Council in Phase 1 and two additional graduate planners were approved in Phase 2. Two staff officer posts to support the planning function were also approved under Phase 2.

It should be noted, that under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he/she is responsible. It is a matter for each local authority to determine its own spending priorities, including taking account of payroll costs in the context of the annual budgetary process, having regard to both locally identified needs and available resources.