Irish Examiner View: Confidence in An Bord Pleanála must be restored

The recent An Bord Pleanála controversy may represent a live hand grenade for Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien to deal with, but it is important that the affair comes to a satisfactory conclusion.

Senior counsel Remy Farrell's report has been delivered to Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien (pictured). Picture: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie

The fact that Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien has yet to consult with the country’s ethics and corporate watchdogs in relation to the ongoing issues at An Bord Pleanála does not suggest there will be any great restoration of the public’s trust in the planning process in the near future.

An Bord Pleanála has been in an unwanted spotlight since conflict-of-interest allegations emerged in relation to its deputy chairman, Paul Hyde, and his subsequent stepping down on a ‘strictly without prejudice’ basis, following the appointment of senior counsel Remy Farrell to investigate the conduct of the authority.

Mr Farrell’s report on the matter has been delivered to the minister, although there is, as yet, no timeline for its publication and, indeed, no commitment on behalf of the Government to publish it at all.

This is not a satisfactory state of affairs, and the Government and its agencies need to ensure confidence is restored in An Bord Pleanála and its decisions.

It may be the minister knows he has a live hand grenade to deal with here because of political and social ramifications, but he needs also to be fully aware of the consequences of failing to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion to this whole unseemly matter.