An Bord Pleanála has conducted review into whether Paul Hyde should be dismissed
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An internal investigation in An Bord Pleanála into whether Paul Hyde should be dismissed has been conducted in recent weeks, the has learned.
That investigation is entirely separate from a review of files within the organisation and the investigation ordered by Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien.
Under Section 110 of the Planning Act, the chair of the board is entitled to investigate whether any member of the board has brought the organisation into disrepute and to recommend to the minister whether that person is dismissed. Under the legislation, the chair can “require the member of the board to attend for interview and there interview the member privately".
It is understood Mr Hyde was interviewed by the chair, Dave Walsh late last week. The chair is, under section 110, charged that if he considers it appropriate to “report to the minister the result of the interview or investigation".
An ABP spokesperson confirmed the chairperson “is currently considering the issue of whether he is minded to form an opinion under section 110 in respect of the conduct of the deputy chairperson, Mr Paul Hyde".
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Mr Hyde has stepped aside from his role while another investigation, by senior counsel Remy Farrell at the behest of the minister, is being conducted. Mr Hyde is understood to have met with Mr Farrell last week to explain his account of how he came to preside over planning decisions where conflicts of interest over ownership of relevant properties by both himself and family members were alleged.
Meanwhile, the review of files within ABP connected to Mr Hyde has now widened to include a raft of decisions on telecommunications masts in which Mr Hyde, as part of a two-member board, overturned recommendations of inspectors and granted permission.
On May 28, the reported that he voted to override his own planning inspectors, who had recommended refusal, to grant planning for masts in 31 out of 36 cases since September 2020. Those cases will now form part of the ongoing review.
The review has now been widened beyond Mr Hyde to include some cases where it has been alleged that a staff member, as opposed to a board member, had a potential conflict of interest and may be in breach of the board’s code of conduct.
Other areas that the review is covering now include:
- Strategic Housing Development cases where there is any question of a conflict of interest;
- Fire safety certificate appeals where there is a company which provides services to the board employing a relative of the board member;
- Cases where a potential breach of the board’s code of conduct has been raised.
An ABP spokesperson said the review of the files is likely to conclude before the end of June.