Planning

Pushback against ‘cosmetic exercise’ of renaming Bord Pleanála

Staff union Fórsa, TDs and the Oireachtas Housing Committee have said the move would be costly, humiliating and unnecessary

An Bord Pleanála: planners and other staff have written to Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien to express their opposition to the proposed renaming. Picture: Maura Hickey.

Planners working in An Bord Pleanála have warned Darragh O’Brien, the Minister for Housing, that changing the planning appeal body’s name would represent “collective punishment”.

O’Brien, the Minister for Housing has announced his intention to rename the planning appeals body as An Coimisiún Pleanála (the Planning Commission) following a series of controversies about its operations.

However, planners and other grades of staff in An Bord Pleanála have written to O’Brien to demand a U-turn.

Ian ...