Letter to the Editor: An Bord Pleanala & appeals
The Editor,Letters Page,The Irish Independent,
Dear Editor,
The article by Gordon Deegan regarding An Bord Pleanala overruling their own Inspectors reports was an interesting read. Over the last couple of months, despite Ms Sarah Moorehead SC bemoaning Councillors being involved in planning matters, I have tried to help and advise various residents groups with appeals to An Bord Pleanala.
The residents have duly prepared detailed submissions that were upheld and supported by the An Bord Pleanala Inspector. In several of these cases the unaccountable Board has ignored the advice of the Inspector who has dealt with the case and reversed the Inspectors decision. Should I now tell residents that they shouldn’t bother and in our “pro any sort of development anywhere” the Board will simply approve whatever the nice person in charge in the Custom House tells them too?
I try to have faith in our public institutions …but increasingly it is hard too.
Yours sincerely,
Dermot Lacey