Ex-HSE chief Paul Reid to become chair of new planning authority

Former HSE chief executive Paul Reid is set to become chairman of the new planning authority that will replace An Bord Pleanála. Mr Reid will chair the board of An Coimisiún Pleanála when it is established formally by Minister for Housing James Browne, it is understood.

A former senior civil servant and head of Fingal County Council, Mr Reid took command of the HSE in 2019 in the months before the first coronavirus outbreak.

He became a household name during pandemic lockdowns and the Covid-19 vaccination campaign. Mr Reid stood down in late 2022, saying the HSE was entering a new phase as the pandemic threat eased.

[ Pat Leahy: Housing emergency? Ireland is not even acting at the level of mildly urgentOpens in new window ]

Mr Browne is expected to set out Mr Reid’s appointment in an information memorandum to the Cabinet.

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Legislation was enacted last year to overhaul planning and replace An Bord Pleanála with An Coimisiún Pleanála. In a bid to speed up the planning process, the new body will be subject to statutory mandatory timelines for planning decisions.