Sinn Féin demands probe into An Bord Pleanála's 'scandalous' financial management

Junior minister with responsibility for planning, Peter Burke, said that the Government has “reinstated a two-stage process” in terms of reforming An Bord Pleanála. File picture

Sinn Féin has called for the “scandalous” financial “mismanagement” at An Bord Pleanála to be included in the Government’s ongoing review of the body.

New figures released to the party’s housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin show that €1.06m was paid to developers by An Bord Pleanála last year due to the late processing of applications for strategic housing developments (SHDs) – the State’s failed fast-track housing policy.

Just €10,000 in such penalties was incurred by the board in 2021. However, that figure has increased to €1.06m in 2022 up until end September, indicating 106 penalties paid to 85 developers.

At present, there are 106 SHDs still to be decided upon by An Bord Pleanála, despite the system having been officially scrapped as of last December. Some 76 of those applications have passed their expected decision date of 16 weeks after the application was made.

Late applications mandate a fine of at least €10,000 against An Bord Pleanála payable to the applicant developer.

Describing the revelations as “scandalous”, Mr Ó Broin said that the fines – set in the context of the €8m per year which An Bord Pleanála is currently spending on legal fees, roughly half its annual budget – have arisen due to “a litany of legally questionable planning decisions”.

“Why is this being allowed to happen? How long will it be tolerated by Government?” he asked.

He queried whether or not housing Minister Darragh O’Brien will call on An Bord Pleanála chairman Dave Walsh to “explain why this level of financial mismanagement is being allowed to continue”.

“Will the issue of financial mismanagement finally be included in the ongoing review and reform of the board?” Mr Ó Broin asked, in reference to the Government’s action plan for the overhaul of An Bord Pleanála announced last week.

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That plan will see an increase in funding for An Bord Pleanála aimed at strengthening its decision-making process, with two-person decision boards and the current system of nominating board members set to be scrapped as part of the same process.

Asked the same questions in the Dáil on Thursday afternoon, junior minister with responsibility for planning, Peter Burke, said that the Government has “reinstated a two-stage process” in terms of reforming An Bord Pleanála.

“We have a very comprehensive review under way looking into the operational duties of the board, and there will be a 25% increase in capital funding going into An Bord Pleanála,” he said.

A spokesperson for An Bord Pleanála said that it is “currently experiencing a backlog of cases due to both a general increase in the volume of cases received and the complex nature of certain types of case”.

The board previously rejected Mr Ó Broin’s suggestion that SHD decisions may be delayed due to forthcoming planning legislation changes which will make it harder to object to SHDs.