Emergency motion on An Bord Pleanála tabled by Sinn Fein

Sinn Féin councillors on Dublin City Council have tabled an emergency motion on the crisis in An Bord Pleanála for this evening’s June monthly meeting of the Council.

This is according to the party’s deputy leader on the Council, Mícheál Mac Donncha, who said APB is a body based on political appointments to highly paid positions by the Minister of the day.

“The crisis that has rocked An Bord Pleanála has further undermined public confidence in our already deeply flawed planning system,” he said.

“Serious questions have arisen about conflicts of interest among members of the Board and about the way in which they were appointed.

“The deputy chair of the Board, Paul Hyde, was nominated by a body which had been disbanded.

“The current revelations and controversy are but the latest in a body that is based on political appointments to highly paid positions by the Minister of the day with a lack of transparency and accountability.

“An Bord Pleanála wields enormous power in the planning of our city, particularly under the notorious Strategic Housing Development legislation which is transforming Dublin over the heads of the citizens and councillors.

“An independent review in 2016 recommended reform of An Bord Pleanála, including the method of appointment of members, but successive governments have failed to act.

“We are tabling this motion to demand action and to highlight the implications for planning in our city.”