Hello An Bord Pleanála

72sheep

Today we have ABP Chairman (Dave Walsh) in front of Public Accounts Committee answering to the crowd that are trying to introduce legislation that would make the ABP less accountable to the public. Meanwhile The Ditch has new info about the (alleged) tricks that Dave himself has been up to. If true then it's no wonder ABP has so many problems when its own Chairman does not know the regulations or considers them optional.

The Ditch also has a new article detailing (allegedly) how only two ABD board members, when 3 are mandated by legislation, decided on 26 planning cases at a single meeting. Look at how hard they are working for us ;-) #SFaredefinitelytoblame #letsarrangeaparadewithflags #somuchcare

https://www.ontheditch.com/abp-chairperson-determined-case-without-third-board-member/

72sheep

Excellent article from Cianan Brennan summarises the possible deficiencies of the multiple overlapping ABP reviews and sets expectations that we should only expect a "lessons have been learnt" moment.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/commentanalysis/arid-40928888.html

72sheep

Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien is toiling tirelessly on our behalf and has called in the AG to check that it's safe for us to see the report. Meanwhile - see below - it just goes on and on and on!

https://www.ontheditch.com/hyde-approved-development-son-fine-gael-senator/

72sheep

And yet more (alleged) going's on's.

And remember the scope of the Housing Minister's investigation only included cases involving the since departed Deputy Chairman. Of course ABP are also conducting an internal investigation but the Chairman was already recently before the Dail Committee and steadfastly refused to concede there was anything to apologise for!

And as a result, we get last Sunday's survey indicating that 10% of the population are concerned about government corruption. The IT need to learn the public better so that they can comprehend that the international money markets have already solved housing :-)

https://www.ontheditch.com/abp-board-member-appeals-neighbourhood/

72sheep

Did Cian maybe get a tip-off that our Housing Minister is soon to release a statement attempting to whitewash this issue??

Worded something like: "the review highlighted areas for improvement, which we welcome, but nothing that requires further investigation" [...] "housing continues to be an area of focus" [...] "ABP are diligently reviewing to ensure that their incredibly high ethical standards have always been upheld" [...] "ABP are proud to introduces even higher ethical standards" [...] "the government is satisfied that ABP team, including the ex-Dep. Chairman, are all gents" [...] "the Housing Minister is also a gent" [...]

https://www.irishexaminer.com/business/arid-40938062.html

sprucemoose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119027121#Comment_119027121

i dont think you really understand what ABP does

72sheep

The DPP's up again :-) God willing she will, again by her grace, determine that On The Ditch should not be prosecuted for making the public aware of what's been going on. LOL.

https://www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/2022/08/15/fate-of-senior-an-bord-pleanala-official-paul-hyde-now-rests-with-dpp/

72sheep

Mick Clifford recently on The Stand rightly calling into question how ABP Chairman, Dave "Classics" Walsh, can be allowed to remain in situ. Let's see!

72sheep

Nothing surprising about this at all...

https://www.ontheditch.com/senior-counsel-abp/

72sheep

ABP Chairman, Dave "TCD Classics" Walsh, nonchalantly dismisses the idea there might be ethical concerns about his voting on a €350M Amazon site that's only 900m from his house. It makes you wonder what ABP considers best-practice and so the remit of the internal investigation that Dave has instigated. Go on Dave, say sorry ;-)

https://www.ontheditch.com/abp-chair-voted-neighbourhood/

Ten of Swords

Mod - you've been bumping this thread for months now but it dpesnt appear that theres any actual conversation being had, just article after article

If there's nothing to discuss I'll be closing it soon

72sheep

ToS, can't we wait for the punchline from the Minister's investigations?

(This ABP story would be fascinating even if we weren't in a multi-decade housing crisis: ABP Deputy Chairman forced to resign, ABP Chairman sees no problem presiding over Amazon planning decisions beside his home, ABP costing tax payers millions because the Courts keep telling them they are making wrong decisions, ABP's policy of not taking minutes at meetings, ABP ignored the reform recommendations from report in 2016 and now ABP has been charged with investigating themselves, where will it all lead...!!)

72sheep

So the Department of Housing has shown its hand! The "Action Plan for ABP" published yesterday specifically indicates that the OPR's findings "are not to be viewed as criticisms of past procedures or performance". So that's that then :-)

(It was widely known that the ABP Chairman's wife works for Department of Housing. No one was surprised then to see this official Government document single out her husband alone for commendation: "Steps have already been taken by the Chair of An Bord Pleanála to ensure that all Board members must now confirm..." )

MOD/ToS: thanks for keeping this open, can close now.

https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/cbdf3-action-plan-for-an-bord-pleanala/

72sheep

(Minister Darragh is up to his usual tricks and so have to take advantage of a still open thread.)

• ABP Chairman adjudicates over planning decisions related to $TRILLION companies on his own road and sees nothing wrong with it. The rest of his team follow that example. See all above for their performance record.
• Minister for Housing, Darragh O’Brien, also sees nothing wrong with it and so publicly instructed the OPR that their findings cannot say anything bad about ABP.
• Minister publicly started laying the groundwork to further reduce public visibility into ABP a few months back (an organisation that already doesn't take meeting minutes!)
• ABP are so incompetent that they lose practically every case taken against them in court. Today the Minister is addressing this by publicly proposing those troublesome independent courts be removed from the process and just let ABP have the final say.

In fairness, you have to admire this Govmt's flagrant disregard for public opinion as they are doing this all very publicly right in front of us! Sure, it's only housing :-)

72sheep

https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2022/10/10/former-planning-board-official-paul-hyde-to-face-criminal-prosecution/

IT covers the story of a (minor) criminal prosecution against ABP Deputy Chairman Paul Hyde. However they have nothing to say about all the other - far more extensive - going's on's at ABP led by their intrepid Chairman Dave 'Classics' Walsh. Also no headlines about the govmt last week publicly instructing the OPR that their "independent" investigation into ABP was not allowed to say anything bad.

It's not all bad news though, through the public service dutifully provided by ABP we have carefully maintained our beautiful country whilst still providing adequate housing for our citizens... Oh hang on... LOL

72sheep

https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2022/11/03/an-bord-pleanala-chairman-to-leave-planning-authority-after-months-of-turmoil-over-work-of-former-deputy/

Both Chairman and Deputy Chairman now gone.

Must be such a relief for the vast majority of hardworking honest people at ABP, an early Christmas present :-)

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119828360#Comment_119828360

Retirement? How old is he?

72sheep

fixed

72sheep

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119828582#Comment_119828582

Ha ha, yes, we can always rely on the IT to "officially record" that Dave was a great lad altogether and that, indeed, we are indebted to his service.

Still this is a joyous day and so not going to mention again where Dave's wife works, his adjudications about $trillion companies on the road where he resides, the independent investigation that he commissioned, his square-shaped head or that he has a Classics degree :-)

72sheep

https://twitter.com/AnTaisce/status/1601263227530141696

Minister Darragh, undeterred by the current motion of no confidence, is not letting a good scandal go to waste and shows us what FFG think of the public :-)

72sheep

https://www.ontheditch.com/abp-internal-report/

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120189342#Comment_120189342

Will the Ditch be publishing the report on the inquiry as to who leaked the internal report to the Ditch?

72sheep

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120189421#Comment_120189421

Absolutely not, that "cover up" reportage is the consecrated ground upon which only the IT is allowed to tread. Those journalists at The Ditch do not understand the nuances of public service reporting. They're entirely unqualified to explain to us that exposing these types of "non-best practices" in fact diminishes our democratic processes. Sure poor auld Paul Hyde was in-situ at ABP for just a measly decade, he barely had a chance to have a clear run at things, LOL !!!

Nate--IRL--

Struck gold at the Ditch it seems. Proper journalism, good to see.

Nate