Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy has been called to provide more staff to An Bord Pleanála following delays in the Strategic Development Zones in Poolbeg and Clonburris.

Sinn Fein spokesperson on Planning Eoin Ó Broin TD made the call and said delays on the College Green plaza decision and the 3,500 new apartments on the strategic development zone (SDZ) on Glass Bottle site in Poolbeg are "unacceptable".

He said: "When Minister Murphy made the decision to introduce fast track planning for 100 units or more, where the project goes straight to An Bord Pleanála he should have ensured that adequate resources were in place to help the Bord to process these decisions.

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"The Poolbeg site isn't the only SDZ under development. The Clonburris SDZ in my own constituency of Dublin Mid-West has plans for 8,000 new homes, 33% of which will be much needed social and affordable homes.

"Both these SDZs should not be facing any undue delays. If its staff that are needed, hiring more people should be an absolute priority for the government in order to ease the backlog.

"Even if these staff are hired on a temporary basis or seconded from other areas Minister Murphy must do every possible to ensure that the delivery of desperately needed homes are not delayed due to a planning backlog."

(CD/MH)