Independent Senator Michael McDowell today spoke out against An Bord Pleanála being involved in offshore wind turbine installations amid controversies and issues within the organisation.
Senator McDowell drew attention to problems in the authority following the resignation of its full-time members including the chair and deputy chair saying:
“An Bord Pleanála is unable to deal with its current responsibilities.
“There is a large backlog of cases.
“Nearly two-thirds of recent applications fail to get a decision by the expected deadline.
“Decisions are overdue in 62 per cent of cases.
“Within the last year, An Bord Pleanála has faced several investigations and inquiries.
“There is also a backlog of land-based planning applications and public confidence in the organisation is very low.
“Does it make sense to trust them with additional responsibilities?
“An Bord Pleanála shouldn’t be involved in offshore wind turbine installations.
“It’s foolish having two separate state agencies including An Bord Pleanála and the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority involved in the planning and licensing process.”
Last year Senator McDowell also spoke out against An Bord Pleanála regarding the decommissioning of the €200 million Derrybrien Windfarm, particularly regarding the decision not to grant retrospective planning permission and the refusal of substitute consent.