The Irish Times

An Bord Pleanála is to get 24 more planners and other staff to cope with rapidly increasing planning appeals, which are expected to exceed 6,000 this year for the first time. Meanwhile, the planning body and the Impact trade union will appear before the Labour Relations Commission today for pay negotiations. A management consultant has said that some Bord Pleanála staff, particularly planners, should get extra pay, though Impact has refused the board's first offer. Yesterday, the board's chairman, John O'Connor, conceded that it "continued to experience difficulties in recruiting and retaining professional planners". Mr O'Connor and other senior board staff yesterday appeared before the Oireachtas Committee on the Environment and Local Government. A significant number of appeal applications are ruled out of order because of faulty paperwork, Mr O'Connor told Labour TD Eamon Gilmore.