An Bord Pleanála was established in 1977 to adjudicate on planning appeals and other matters, independent of politics.
Previously, all decisions on appeals were made by the then minister for local government, in a process that was clearly open to abuse.
The board's chairman is appointed by the Government from a list of candidates selected by an independent committee, chaired by the President of the High Court, that includes both the national chairman of An Taisce and the president of the Construction Industry Federation.
Ordinary members are appointed by the minister for the environment from candidates selected by organisations representing professional, environmental, development, local government and other interests. One must be selected from civil servants in the department.
John O'Connor was appointed chairman of An Bord Pleanála for a seven-year term in May, 2000. Prior to his appointment, he had been assistant secretary in charge of the department's planning division and previously served as principal officer in the housing policy division.
Deputy chairman Brian Hunt, who has been on the board since 1999, was previously a senior executive engineer with Meath County Council. Another long-serving member (since 1995) is Margaret Byrne, who was previously a principal officer in the Department of the Environment.
Four architects are also board members - Michael Wall and Angela Tunney, who both also have masters degrees in planning from UCD; Karl Kent, a former An Bord Pleanála senior inspector, and Mary Bryan, who was previously chief executive of the Irish Georgian Society.
Jane Doyle, another former senior inspector, also has a masters degree in planning from UCD, as well as a diploma in environmental impact assessment management, while Berna Grist was a lecturer in the college's Department of Regional and Urban Planning.
Brian Swift, a former Waterford city councillor, who was appointed to the board in 2001, holds a law degree from UCC, practised as a solicitor for more 20 years and lectured in law at Waterford RTC (now Waterford Institute of Technology).
