Only one third of appeals cases to An Bord Pleanála are finalised within the 18-week legal timeframe, Fianna Fáil has revealed.

The party's Spokesperson on Regional, Rural, Gaeltacht & Island Affairs, Éamon Ó Cuív, revealed that only 35% of cases are being completed in time, despite Section 126 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 stating planning appeals should be determined within 18 weeks.

Describing the delays as "totally unacceptable", Deputy Ó Cuív said: "During the period January to April 2018, the Bord received 713 planning appeals. Only 222 appeals were disposed of within 18 weeks.  This is totally unacceptable and neither An Bord Pleanála nor Minister Murphy has been able to justify these delays.

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"There is a saying, "justice delayed is justice denied" and this is true in the case of An Bord Pleanála, where both the applicants and the complainants are held up interminably, as the Board prevaricates on the smallest of decisions."

Continuing, Deputy Ó Cuív said the delays have already resulted in plans being scrapped to develop a multi-million euro Apple data centre in Athenry.

"Projects, both large and small scale are being held up as a result of An Bord Pleanála's inability to adhere to its statutory obligations and the failure of Minister Murphy to either insist that these targets be met or to allocate the resources to help the Bord to meet them," he said.

"This government's reluctance to address important issues which impact on communities cannot continue and I am urging Minister Murphy to take action to tackle these planning appeal delays."

(LM)