Just over half of new An Bord Pleanála jobs filled

However, new figures released by An Bord Pleanála to Sinn Féin’s housing spokesman Eoin Ó Broin show that just 50 of those positions have been filled to date.

Of those 50 appointments, at least 30 relate to planning inspector positions, both senior and junior. These roles require planning expertise and are as crucial to the decision-making process as a full complement of board members, given that a decision cannot be made on an application until a planning inspector has delivered recommendations.

Ten of the inspector roles have been added within the past fortnight.

Remuneration for inspection roles ranges from €68,000 to €79,000.

The majority, 17 out of 30, of the positions of planning expertise have been filled by personnel coming from local authorities.

“While we appreciate that recruitment work comes with its own timeline, it is also vital that An Bord Pleanála be operating with the appropriate level of staff,” said Mr Ó Broin.

“If that recruitment is coming from the local authorities, then they will also have to replace their staff.

“It’s robbing Peter to pay Paul.”

Case backlog

An Bord Pleanála’s staffing woes, together with a deficit of board members to make planning decisions, contributed to a massive backlog of planning cases.

It is understood that while a full board is now in place and decisions are being made at a normal rate once more, the board’s current activities are sufficient only to stop the backlog from getting larger, while inroads into the pile of delayed cases are not expected to be made until 2024.

Many of the positions which remain vacant relate to marine planning, a section which is likely to become increasingly important in the context of future offshore wind farm planning applications.

Last February, An Bord Pleanála’s then interim chairwoman Oonagh Buckley told the Oireachtas housing committee that staffing levels at the board needed to increase from 200 to 300 “over the course of the next year to 18 months” in order for the body to match its workload.

An Bord Pleanála’s backlog stood at some 3,600 cases last July, roughly one year’s worth of decisions.

A spokesperson for An Bord Pleanála said that it is hoped to add a further 15 recruits before the end of the year.

They said that “uptake has generally been positive and timely”, while successful candidates “may have work commitments prior to joining the board, resulting in commencement taking time”.

In 2022, several senior board members either exited or resigned from their roles, including chairman Dave Walsh and deputy chairman Paul Hyde.

In June, Mr Hyde received two jail sentences of two months each for breaches of planning laws, with the sentencing judge saying that “ethical standards in public life matter”.