Spend by State planning watchdog on legal proceedings increases ninefold to €437k
Gordon Deegan
The spending on legal proceedings by the State planning watchdog, the Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR), increased almost ninefold to €437,202 last year.
The annual report and financial statements for the OPR show that the spending on legal fees concerning legal proceedings increased from €47,695 to €437,202.
A note attached to the statements states that the sharp rise in legal proceedings is "due to a number of Judicial Review proceedings in which the OPR was either a notice party or a respondent”.
The OPR has also made a €190,000 provision concerning legal costs including one case estimated to cost the OPR €175,000.
This relates to a Council initiating judicial review proceedings against the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, in which the OPR was a notice party in 2021.
The Council’s challenge was upheld and the note states that year-end 2024, the OPR continues to await notification of the actual costs for payment pertaining to the ruling and the OPR has estimated that the costs will be €175,000.
Numbers employed at the OPR last year increased from 36 to 46 and staff costs rose from €2.8 million to €3.17 million.
The remuneration for CEO, Niall Cussen, increased from €166,909 to €174,515.
The OPR carried out a comprehensive review process in relation to the functioning of An Bord Pleanala during 2022.
In the 2024 annual report, the OPR state that significant progress was made by ABP - now An Coimisiún Pleanála - in 2024 in implementing the recommendations.
The report states that the significant progress includes the area of staff recruitment where over 100 new posts have been sanctioned since the OPR review was initiated.
“Over 290 people, including board members, are now working within ABP and the overall complement of staff is expected to exceed 300 during 2025.”
The report states that crucially, the improvements to systems and procedures arising out of implementation of the review recommendations have allowed the organisation to significantly reduce its backlog of planning files.
It states: “While some further work is required in 2025, the impact of this will be positively felt throughout the planning system and the stakeholders it serves."
During 2024, the OPR received 113 complaints and gave preliminary examination to 28 complaints, upholding four, not upholding 23 complaints and one to be finalised.
The report states: "Where a complaint is upheld, we may issue recommendations to the local authority to ensure improvements to the way in which they deliver their planning services."
