Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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189. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the total number of new posts for planning authorities sanctioned in Budget 2025; to confirm that these are entirely separate from any additional sanction provided in 2024; and to provide details of both, in terms of number sanctioned, numbers recruited to date, and funding provided in each round of sanction. [40736/24]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Under Section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he/she is responsible.

In terms of building capacity generally in the local government planning sector, my Department is currently working on a number of measures to increase staffing levels. The Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) submitted a report entitled 'Business Case for Resources for the Planning Function of Local Authorities in 2022' which identified a shortfall of 541 staff in local authority planning services at that time. Further to the submission of the report, my Department is working in conjunction with the LGMA on a programme of support to provide planning authorities, on a phased basis, with the requisite level of staffing resources and expertise to efficiently and effectively perform their planning functions.

In this regard, my Department wrote to planning authorities in October 2023 conveying approval to the filling of an initial 100 posts, subsequently increased to 101 posts, in the local authority planning service under the first tranche of the programme. €8 million was allocated in Budget 2024 specifically for additional planning recruitment and training at local authority level. This was to support the filling of the 101 posts and will also contribute towards the establishment of a sustainable pipeline of planning resource provision. Of these 101 posts, 80 positions have been filled to date, with the remainder expected to be filled by the end of the year.

Engagement is ongoing with the local government sector on the scope of further tranches. A further €10 million has been allocated in Budget 2025 for increased resourcing in the planning system, through additional staff for An Bord Pleanála, local authorities and support for a new planning learning and development initiative.