Planning legislation

The Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) forms the foundations for planning in Ireland. This Act covers a huge range of planning-related issues, and combines a wide range of different legislation into one place.

• It sets out the detail of regional planning guidelines, development plans and local area plans.
• It explains how Ministerial Guidelines work.
• It sets out how the process of applying for and obtaining planning permission works.
• It contains special requirements for protected structures, conservation areas and areas of special planning control.
• It explains the relationship between planning and social housing supply.
• It sets out Ireland’s planning appeals and enforcement processes.
• It describes Strategic Development Zones and Environmental Impact Assessment.
• It clarifies how a range of particular planning processes, including for State development, operates.
• Basically, if it needs planning permission, this Act outlines how. If it doesn’t need planning permission, this Act explains why.

There have been a number of changes to the legislation since 2000, which are set out in the administrative consolidation drawn up by the Law Reform Commission.

The principal regulations underpinning the Planning and Development Acts are the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 (S.I. No. 600 of 2001). A number of Regulations amending the 2001 Regulations have been made, which, taken together, are collectively cited as the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 to 2025.

An unofficial consolidation of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001- 2025 has been prepared for ease of reference by users and has no legal status.