Independent Senator, Victor Boyhan, has today (Tuesday) expressed his concerns about the capacity of An Bord Pleanála to deliver planning decisions in a timely manner.

“In particular, I am concerned by its handling of the Dún Laoghaire Harbour cruise ship terminal project. The €18 million development, spearheaded by Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company, has proven to be a divisive project in south County Dublin.

“An Bord Pleanála received more than 150 objections to the project and it was expected that it would announce its decision to grant, amend or refuse planning permission for the development in Dún Laoghaire Harbour by 8 January 2016.

“However, it extended the decision date to April and thereafter extended it again this time to 17 June 2016.

“In recent days, an Bord Pleanála has confirmed that it is not in a position to make its determination on the Cruise Ship Project as their inspectors report requires more work to be done and therefore has not yet been presented it to the board for their consideration and final decision.

“I call on An Bord Pleanála to explain why it has failed to reach a decision on the controversial proposal within the initial 18-week timeframe objective set by the board and to give reasons for the ongoing delays in this particular case.

“The government is considering expanding the remit of an Bord Pleanála to fast-track certain planning projects this application highlights the need for a new approach.”

-Senator Victor Boyhan, 14th June 2016