The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
TRUST in An Bord Pleanála is at an all time low, in the view of Clare’s Fianna Fáil Senator, after alleged conflicts of interest at the appeals board. Speaking to The Champion, Senator Timmy Dooley stopped short of backing calls from his party colleague Junior Minister Niall Collins, who insisted that the board should be scrapped. Controversy engulfed the agency in recent months and led Deputy Chairperson Paul Hyde to step aside, ‘without prejudice’, pending a probe into allegations of conflicts of interest. Senator Dooley said the matter has “rocked public trust”. “Most people I’ve dealt with on planning issues believed the board to be completely objective and independent,” he said. “As public representatives, we have the capacity to make representations to the local authority on planning matters, but we are precluded in law from ever engaging with An Bord Pleanála. “It has always been seen as beyond the reach of local politicians or anyone who would seek to influence …
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