1814. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the estimated cost in 2027 if the budget for the Office of Planning Regulator increased by 10%. [61611/26]

The Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR) is an independent public body which was established in 2019 under the Planning and Development Act 2000, and now under the Planning and Development Act 2024 to perform the following functions:

independent assessment of all local authority forward planning and regional assembly forward planning, including development plans, local area plans and regional spatial and economic strategies;

reviews of the organisation, systems and procedures used by any planning authority, including An Coimisiun Pleanála, in the performance of any of their planning functions under the 2000 Act; and

conducting national education and training programmes for members and staff of planning authorities and regional assemblies in relation to proper planning and sustainable development; and also conducting research on matters relevant to the OPR’s functions and such other matters as may be requested by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

The estimated cost in 2027, for a hypothetical 10% increase in the budget of the OPR would be €518,000.

Arrangements have been put in place by all bodies under the aegis of my Department to facilitate the provision of information directly to members of the Oíreachtas. This provides a speedy, efficient and cost effective system to address queries directly to the relevant bodies. The contact email address for the Office of the Planning Regulator in this regard is oireachtas@opr.ie.