Mick Clifford: Lid lifts on An Bord Pleanála's cavalier culture

Why did it take a complete depletion of confidence in what is a vital organ of State before urgency and political will focused on the maintenance of standards?

This newspaper and other media have reported on how a trend had set in among some board members of having scant regard for inspectors’ reports, sometimes ignoring their recommendations without offering reasons and driving on to give the nod to the project in question. Picture: Niall Carson/PA Wire

This is a great little country for implementing change in the aftermath of disaster. If only our political, civil and public service cultures managed to act before being forced to, plenty of pain might be avoided. 

Such thoughts leap out from a perusal of the first report from the Office of the Planning Regulator into the disastrous recent fortunes of An Bord Pleanála.