Bord Pleanala will not appeal ruling on Narconon facility

Plans by Narconon Trust to open a controversial drug treatment centre in Ballivor appear to have crossed their final hurdle as an Bord Pleanala confirmed this week that it will not challenge the Court of Appeal ruling last November that paved the way for the centre to open.

An Bord Pleanala has confirmed to the Meath Chronicle that it will not appeal the Court of Appeal ruling.

Last November, the Court of Appeal upheld the decision of the High Court that Bord Pleanala was incorrect in deciding that the facility at Ballivor required planning permission for a change of use.

Narconon Trust purchased the property in Ballivor after Meath Co Council confirmed, in a Section 5 Declaration in September 2016, that planning permission was not required for a change of use from a nursing home to a residential drug rehabilitation centre.

More than two years later, in 2018, when construction work on the facility was nearly complete, An Bord Pleanála made a contradictory declaration.

However, in January 2020, the High Court quashed the An Bord Pleanala decision that it needed planning permission for a change of use at the facility and last November the Court of Appeal upheld this decision.

The avenue was open to Bord Pleanala to seek leave to appeal this decision but the body has confirmed to the Meath Chronicle that it will not appeal the ruling.

In a statement, Narconon Trust said it is "pleased that An Bord Pleanála has decided not to seek to appeal the Court of Appeal ruling of November 2021".

"The Court of Appeal ruling upheld the High Court decision that Narconon Ireland did not require further planning permission. Ms Justice Caroline Costello, in delivering the judgment of the Court of Appeal, found that the 2018 referral for other Section 5 declarations, outside of the proper procedures, was an impermissible attack' on the earlier declaration obtained by Narconon," Sheila McLean said in the statement.

Narconon has not yet given a date for when it intends to open its facility in Ballivor.

Meanwhile Aontú leader and Meath West TD Peadar Tóibín said it is an "absolute disgrace that the Govnerment is not stepping in to regulate the residential rehab sector".

"Right now anybody in this country can set up a residential drug rehab centre tomorrow and deliver any type of treatment once it is within the law and the Government would take no interest in it and would not regulate it. Therefore the sector is wide open for exploitation of those who are most vulnerable, those suffering drug addiction many with mental health issues.

"Narconon is completed unregulated. We in Aontú are looking at legislation ourselves if Government won't provide that legislation."