‘An Bord Pleanála major backlog of planning cases is unacceptable,’ says local councillor

New figures released to Independent Councillor Tania Doyle show that An Bord Pleanála has 479 planning applications that have been waiting more than a year to be decided upon.

Ordinarily, a decision on planning applications should be made within 18 weeks, but hundreds are now waiting more than a year due to a large backlog of cases amid a staffing crisis.

“The data released to me reveals that as of the end January 2023, An Bord Pleanála had 2,676 planning applications outstanding on its hands,” Councillor Doyle told Northside People.

“Some 2,197 of those applications were outstanding for less than a year, with 1,719 relating to normal planning appeals, 93 for the soon-to-be-defunct strategic housing development (SHD) process, and 112 for strategic infrastructure projects.

“Within my own Ward, there are a number of cases awaiting judgement, one is just approaching one year since the date was originally set.

“Reviews are on the way and legislation is being drafted but nevertheless the writing was on the wall a long time ago and it appears Government has been reactive instead of proactive and the tangible effect of this on the ground here in Dublin 15 is that residents are telling me they have little or no confidence in the systems and apparatus of the State to work for them in a coherent, cogent and fair manner.”