New planning regulator can be overruled by minister

The new planning regulator will not be given powers to force local authorities to change their rules to comply with national policy.

Instead, the Environment Minister will ultimately decide if a city or county council is flouting the guidelines, and will retain the power to force a council to make changes.

The details are contained in the head of the Planning and Development (No 2) Bill 2014 published by the Department of the Environment.

A key recommendation of the Mahon Tribunal, which found that corruption affected "every level of Irish political life", the Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR) will be established as a new and separate office and will be obliged to inform the minister if a planning strategy is "not consistent" with proper planning.

If the minister agrees, they will issue a direction to the local authority, ordering them to change the plan. If they disagree, they must state the reasons why, which will then be published.

Read the rest of the Irish Independent's article here.