Former IPI executive claims findings against her were influenced from within organisation

Former Irish Planning Institute executive director Orla Purcell has taken a defamation case against the 'Irish Examiner' over two articles published in 2023

When asked if she thought a report by EY had been 'improperly influenced' by the IPI's oversight committee, she replied: 'Yes, that’s what I think'. Picture: Collins Courts

Wed, 29 Apr, 2026 - 20:42

Cianan Brennan

A former senior executive at the Irish Planning Institute (IPI) has acknowledged that several findings were made against her in a confidential consultants' report regarding her conduct, but insisted that those findings were influenced from within the institute.

Orla Purcell, the former executive director of the IPI, was questioned repeatedly at the High Court regarding the contents of the confidential report, written by consultancy EY, which considered a series of allegations regarding her conduct in her role prior to November 2021.