The future of Ireland's embattled planning appeals body is in a "critical state", with a backlog of cases, reduced staff morale and a need for governance reform, a report has warned.

The Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR) report also said that the system for deciding which An Bord Pleanála member reviews each planning case is "flawed" and that one independent person should be appointed to distribute the cases to board members.

The OPR said the challenges around the restructuring of the planning appeals body will require strong leadership to help it through the "difficult period".

Following a review of An Bord Pleanála, the OPR set out 23 recommendations in its final report.

It strongly criticised the system of allocating cases as lacking impartiality - especially as senior board members could allocate cases to themselves - describing the process as "inefficient micro-management".

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Instead, An Bord Pleanála should appoint an employed member of staff, delegated to such duties, "with statutory protection requiring that task to be undertaken independently, on the application of principles of fairness, equality and impartiality", it said.

The report is one of several inquiries carried out into allegations of conflicts of interest raised this year about the planning appeals body.

In August, Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien referred a report by barrister Remy Farrell into decisions made at the body to the DPP, gardaí and Standards in Public Office Commission.