People turning down role for An Coimisiún Pleanála chair due to low fee

Ken Foxe

A government department said multiple people had refused a role as chair of An Coimisiún Pleanála because the fee was too low.

In a business case, the Department of Housing said the existing rate of €20,520 would not attract a suitable candidate and sought a €50,000 annual payment instead.

It said An Coimisiún Pleanála – renamed from An Bord Pleanála – had been through a period of intense controversy.

The business case said the planning board needed somebody without any conflict of interest and who did not have any other “paid commitments or roles.”

The former chief executive of the HSE, Paul Reid, was subsequently appointed to the role.

The internal records said efforts had been underway since November 2024 to find a “suitably qualified and experienced candidate.”

A campaign by PublicJobs had identified one suitable person, but they withdrew their name for consideration.

The business case said: “Several potential candidates have been approached since, however, in most cases these candidates have said they are unable to take up the position due to the need to give up consultancy work and other paid board positions, and consequent loss of income.”

It explained how the current fee for chairperson was set in January 2010 at a rate of €20,520 per year.

With inflation factored in, that would have worked out at around €26,922 based on the Consumer Price Index.

A higher fee was payable for certain public bodies at €29,888, which would be equivalent to €39,213 today,” the business case said.

It added: “In the fifteen years since these fees were set, the real value of the fees has diminished considerably.

“In that time, the challenges facing organisations such as An Bord/Coimisiún Pleanála have continued to increase, and there is widespread acknowledgement of the need for suitably skilled and dedicated individuals to be attracted.”

It said it was “imperative” that the person chosen would dedicate themselves to the role without any hint of conflict of interest or bias.

The business case explained that this would preclude them from being on the board of any other public body or private company.

“In approaching candidates for Chairperson, the current fee has been identified as a barrier to accepting the role, in combination with the loss of income that would result from the need for exclusive commitment,” it added.

It said this would be a “unique condition” for An Coimisiún Pleanála and would be paid on an “exceptional basis.”

Last June, the Department of Public Expenditure responded to say they were willing to approve a fee of €40,000 for the role.

However, it gave the Minister for Housing, James Browne, “discretion and sanction” to raise it to €50,000 if he deemed it necessary to find a suitable candidate.

It said the fee would also be reviewed at the end of the new chair’s first period in office.

A later letter from Minister Jack Chambers to the Housing Minister said: “I understand and share your commitment to ensuring An Coimisiún Pleanála can meet its statutory targets for planning decisions.

“The timely and efficient processing of planning applications is crucial for the delivery of housing and infrastructure projects.”

Asked about the records, the Department of Housing said it had nothing further to add.