Public statement to follow planning review, says Gilmore

A PUBLIC statement would be made later this year following a review of alleged planning irregularities in seven local authorities, the Dáil was told.

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore said the review related to “complaints and dissatisfaction” regarding planning decisions or policies undertaken.

“The review will be completed following the publication of the retail planning guidelines due before the end of April,” he added.

Mr Gilmore said the local authorities were Dublin and Cork city councils and county councils in Carlow, Galway, Cork, Meath and Donegal.

He was replying to Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin who said former minister for the environment John Gormley had established an independent review into the planning practices in those local authorities.

It was more than a year since Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan had taken office, he added.

“Why is there still no outcome to his internal reviews nine months after he suppressed the independent reviews the former minister, Mr Gormley, established?” Mr Martin asked.

He said Mr Hogan had an extensive dossier prepared by planning officials in the department following an internal review of complaints made from 2007 to 2009.

He added that the Minister also had a series of reports from the managers in each of the local authorities. The terms of reference for a panel of planning consultants were also available, said Mr Martin.

Mr Gilmore said Mr Gormley had announced independent inquiries into the seven local authorities in June 2010, but they had not got under way when he left office more than seven months later. Mr Hogan, he added, had considered that the considerable cost of retaining consultants required further examination.

He had instructed officials to conduct an internal review and to report to him on what further actions might be warranted.

“These further actions might include changes to legislation, new regulations or further guidance on a range of issues related to the operation of the planning system in the local authorities,” he added.

Mr Gilmore said no planning inquiry was being suppressed and full information would be published.

Mr Martin said he had spoken to Mr Gormley. “The bottom line is there was resistance to these inquiries within the system,” he added. He said Mr Gilmore should meet Mr Gormley and look at the dossier on the issue.