Housing Minister appoints new Deputy Chair of An Bord Pleanála

Chris McGarry replaces Paul Hyde as the deputy chairperson.

HOUSING MINISTER DARRAGH O’Brien has appointed a new Deputy Chairperson of An Bord Pleanála (ABP), six months on from the resignation of Paul Hyde.

In an update to the An Bord Pleanála website, it was announced that Chris McGarry had been appointed to the planning authority.

McGarry replaces Hyde as the deputy chairperson of the planning authority. Hyde resigned amid a probe into allegations that conflicts of interest were not declared.

Hyde has denied all allegations made against him.

In November, O’Brien appointed senior civil servant Oonagh Buckley as the interim chairperson of ABP, after then-chairperson Dave Walsh announced that he would be taking an early retirement from the role.

Alongside the appointment of McGarry, there have been three new temporary board members installed: Mick Long, Peter Mullan and Stephen Brophy. These appointments were also made by the Minister.

“Further details in relation to these appointees will be posted in the near future,” reads the ABP website.

When contacted for comment this morning, ABP said that it had no further comment to make beyond the announcements.

Chris-McGarry-2022 New Deputy Chairperson of An Bord Pleanála Chris McGarry

The appointment of McGarry has been welcomed by the Irish Planning Institute (IPI).

“The appointment of Mr McGarry to the role of Deputy Chairperson ensures the incorporation of both technical professional planning expertise and corporate knowledge at a time when a fully functioning and resourced An Bord Pleanála is urgently required to address its significant caseload in a rigorous and timely way,” said Dr Seán O’Leary, a Senior Planner at the IPI.

McGarry was initially appointed to ABP in February 2019.

The appointment of McGarry as Deputy Chairperson of ABP comes a month on from the Government announced its plans to reform the planning system.

Under these reforms, approved by Cabinet in December, ABP will be renamed to An Coimisiún Pleanála and will have new organisational structures put in place, including a Governing Executive which will be separate from the decision makers.

Under the updated body, there will be 14 Planning Commissioners, who will replace the chairperson and board members.

Legislation to enact these changes are expected to go before the Dáil early this year.

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