An Bord Pleanála interim boss says legal costs will stay high into the future

In her final appearance before the Oireachtas housing committee before she takes up her new role as secretary general of the Department of the Environment, Oonagh Buckley said the embattled planning authority incurred a legal bill of “just shy of €10m” in 2022, up from €7.9m the year before. File photo: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie

The interim head of An Bord Pleanála has said the organisation’s legal costs are likely to remain “at a sustained high level for the future”.

In her final appearance before the Oireachtas housing committee before she takes up her new role as secretary general of the Department of the Environment, Oonagh Buckley said the embattled planning authority incurred a legal bill of “just shy of €10m” in 2022, up from €7.9m the year before.