asked the Minister for the Environment the average time taken by An Bord Pleanála in processing appeals; if he will agree that there should be a differential in time taken between a single dwelling and a major planning appeal; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Processing of Appeals.
29.
Because the time taken by An Bord Pleanála to process appeals can vary considerably, the average time taken to deal with appeals is not regarded as a reliable indication of progress and information of that kind is not sought by my Department from the board. I might mention, however, that some 55 per cent of all appeals determined in January 1986 were dealt with in less than 25 weeks, over 76 per cent in less than 30 weeks and over 88 per cent in less than 40 weeks. At the end of that month, the number of appeals on hands for less than three months represented 50 per cent of the total and about 84 per cent of all appeals were less than six months on hands.
Certain basic procedures must be followed in relation to every appeal, whether it relates to a single dwelling or to a major development, and delays due to factors which may be outside the control of the board can occur in any class of case. The board have indicated that they are making every effort to deal with all appeals as expeditiously as possible. At this stage, I do not consider that it would be helpful to suggest the priority that should be given to particular classes of cases or to suggest target periods for dealing with particular types of appeals.