Former HSE Chief Paul Reid to be named head of reformed planning body
Former HSE Chief Paul Reid will be named as the new chairperson of the reformed planning body following Tuesday's Cabinet meeting.
It is understood that Mr Reid is expected to be named as the chairperson of the newly overhauled An Coimisiún Pleanála, which will replace An Bord Pleanála. The plans will be brought to Cabinet by Housing Minister James Browne on Tuesday.
It is expected that Minister Browne will bring a memo for information to Cabinet to establish the new body. The body is being established in line with the phased commencement of the mammoth Planning and Development Act 2024.
There will be a restructured organisation and a new governing board, including a new chairperson The planning commission will be subject to statutory mandatory timelines to give confidence and certainty to applicants and the governing board will appoint the chief planning commissioner
Sources suggested that Mr Browne envisages a 'radical shift in speed of decision making, with far greater certainty of timelines when it comes to the new body'.
Last month, he expressed frustration with the planning system. He also suggested that judicial reviews were being 'weaponised'.
Mr Reid was Chief Executive of the HSE from 2019 to 2022, including during the COVID-19 crisis. He was appointed as Chief Executive of Fingal County Council in 2014 following a three year stint in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform as chief operating officer. He was also appointed as the Chairperson of the Citizens' Assembly on Drugs.
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