Planning permission in Monaghan
Monaghan County Council decides planning applications in Monaghan. Search every Monaghan planning application, see recent decisions and notices, and check what to expect before you apply. This page brings Monaghan County Council planning data together in one place: applications, decisions, approval rates and local rules.
Withdrawn and invalid applications are left out.
Decided in the last 5 years. Bars show applications received each year.
Half of decisions come sooner when no extra information is asked for. The legal limit is 8 weeks.
Of decided applications, the council asked for more before deciding.
Of decided applications, appealed to An Coimisiún Pleanála.
Recent Monaghan planning decisions
The latest granted and refused applications decided by Monaghan County Council. Wording is trimmed and never includes applicant names.
Monaghan planning applications per year
Planning applications received each year, with the share that were granted. The coloured part of each bar is the share granted. The outlined bar is the year so far.
| Year | Received | Granted |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 703 | 94% |
| 2022 | 531 | 93% |
| 2023 | 582 | 95% |
| 2024 | 591 | 92% |
| 2025 | 627 | 94% |
| 2026 (so far) | 546 | 95% |
Monaghan planning approval rates by project type
How often each kind of project was granted in Monaghan over the last 5 years, compared with the whole of Ireland.
Projects are grouped automatically from each application's description, so a few fit more than one type. The marker on each bar is the rate for Ireland. Types with fewer than 30 decisions are left out.
How Monaghan compares with other councils
Monaghan ranked against all 31 planning authorities, using the last 5 years of decisions. Each strip is one council, and the highlighted one is Monaghan.
Best on the left, rank 1 first. Councils with fewer than 100 decisions are left out. Some councils publish data in different ways, so small gaps are not meaningful.
How long does planning permission in Monaghan take?
A planning application in Monaghan, week by week, using real Monaghan decisions.
Lodging your Monaghan planning application
The application goes in with your plans, fee and notices. The site notice goes up and the clock starts.
Neighbours can comment on your application
Anyone can make a submission in the first five weeks. Most applications draw none, but a strong objection can slow things down.
Further information requests
57 in 100 decided Monaghan applications got a request for further information. If yours does, the clock pauses until you reply.
The Monaghan planning decision
Half of Monaghan decisions without a request for more information come by week 7. With a request for more information, the middle case takes about 20 weeks. 94 in 100 decided applications are granted.
Appealing a Monaghan planning decision
You or anyone who commented has four weeks to appeal to An Coimisiún Pleanála. 2.4 in 100 decided Monaghan applications went to appeal.
Starting work after permission is granted
Permission lasts five years. For permissions granted in Monaghan over the last 5 years, 41 in 100 have a commencement notice on record.
Check your Monaghan site before you apply
The pre-planning report covers zoning, protected structures, ground conditions and every application near your address, with the decisions.
Local planning restrictions in Monaghan
Nature areas, historic buildings and monuments that can limit or shape a project in Monaghan. The figures come from national public datasets.
- Nature areas: check
- Historic buildings: surveyed
- Monuments: recorded
- Flood risk: check floodinfo.ie
Sites inside Monaghan, including proposed ones. Largest: Slieve Beagh, Kilroosky Lough Cluster.
Buildings in the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. A survey is not the same as legal protection.
Sites recorded by the National Monuments Service, from ringforts to old quarries.
What this can mean for your project
Projects that could affect a Special Area of Conservation or Special Protection Area may need an appropriate assessment. This can apply even if you are outside the site.
If your home is on the Record of Protected Structures, or in an architectural conservation area, many works that are normally exempt need permission. You can ask the council for a declaration under section 57.
Applications close to a recorded monument can be referred to the National Monuments Service, which can add time and conditions.
The council may ask for a flood risk assessment in flood-prone areas. Check the official flood maps on floodinfo.ie.
Monaghan County Council policies to know
Around these four towns (rural areas under strong urban influence), a single house is only permitted if you meet one test. You are a landowner (2 hectares or more, owned for at least 5 years) or their immediate family member. Or you have lived in the local rural area (within 4 km) for at least 5 years. Or you work in an established rural enterprise nearby and earn your main income from it. Or you are a retiring farmer or their widow or widower. Or you face compelling domestic or personal hardship. Or you are a returning emigrant who lived there for 5 continuous years. A rural housing application form is required, and an occupancy condition is attached.
Source: Chapter 2, section 2.13.1, Policies RSP 6 and RSP 7Outside the settlements and the strong urban influence areas, rural housing is facilitated under the normal planning and siting rules in Chapter 15 of the plan. Small village settlements (Tier 5 and 6) are encouraged as an alternative to one-off rural houses, and need no rural housing need test if they are in strong urban influence areas.
Source: Chapter 2, section 2.13.2, Policy RSP 8, and Rural Settlement Policies RSP 5The council encourages restoring or adapting traditional rural buildings rather than demolishing them. Replacement is only considered if a survey shows the building cannot be made structurally sound, and the new building is normally within the old one's curtilage. If you build or restore within 100 metres of a farm building, you need the farm owner's signed written consent, and a 7-year occupancy condition applies.
Source: Chapter 15, sections 15.9.3 and 15.9.4, Policy RRDP 1From the Monaghan County Development Plan 2025-2031. See all the Monaghan development plan rules, by topic.
Is your site affected?
These figures cover the whole of Monaghan. Whether a restriction applies depends on exactly where your site is. The pre-planning report checks your address.
Sources: National Parks and Wildlife Service, National Inventory of Architectural Heritage and National Monuments Service, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Policy summaries checked 29 Oct 2026. Policy summaries are plain-English guides written from council plans. They may be incomplete or out of date, and where we are not sure we say so. They are not legal advice, so please double-check anything important with the council.
Map of recent Monaghan planning decisions
Click a dot to see the decision and open the full application.
Map of recent Monaghan decisions
Planning applications decided in the last 12 months. Orange is granted, grey is refused.
Towns and areas in Monaghan
Places with the most applications in the last 5 years.
Planning a project in Monaghan?
Check whether you need permission before you spend anything.
Common questions about Monaghan planning
How do I apply for planning permission in Monaghan?
You apply to Monaghan County Council. You need the completed form, a site notice, a newspaper notice, your plans and the fee. The council must decide within eight weeks, unless it asks for more information.
Do I need planning permission in Monaghan?
Not always. Many small projects are exempt under SI 600/2001, for example some single-storey rear extensions up to 40 square metres, subject to conditions. Our free checker screens your project in a minute.
How long does a Monaghan planning decision take?
Half of decisions without a request for more information come by week 7. If the council asks for more information, the clock stops until you reply, so it takes longer.
Can I book a pre-planning meeting with Monaghan County Council?
Yes. Monaghan County Council offers free pre-planning consultations under Section 247 of the Planning and Development Act. Contact the planning department to book one before you lodge.
Applications received up to 16 Oct 2026. Sources: National Planning Application Database (DHLGH and local authorities), An Coimisiún Pleanála, National Building Control Office. Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Sources and methodology.