The Planning Regulator, Niall Cussen and the Deputy Planning Regulator, Anne Marie O’Connor appeared at yesterday’s meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Housing, Heritage and Local Government.
The meeting was an opportunity to inform the committee about the work of the Office of the Planning Regulator just over two years since its establishment.
During the meeting, committee members raised a series of topics such as rural housing guidelines, infrastructure deficits, councillor training, enforcement and the benefit of having an independent office to ensure national planning guidelines are followed.
Speaking about the meeting, the Planning Regulator, Niall Cussen said;
“Our remit is as an independent overseer of the implementation, by local authorities and An Bord Pleanála, of the regulatory and policy framework for planning set by the Oireachtas and the Government. Therefore, it’s extremely important that Oireachtas members are kept informed of how we are fulfilling the mandate which they have set for us.
It’s also beneficial that we hear from elected representatives regarding issues which they or their constituents may have about how the planning system is operating. One of the key roles of the OPR is to ensure that the planning system works fairly and effectively from a public perspective so engagement with public representatives is a key aspect of achieving this.
I would like to thank the TDs and Senators for their insightful questions and observations which we will be addressing in our work and I look forward to continuous future engagement with the committee.”
