How to appeal a planning decision in Ireland

Who can appeal a planning decision?

First-party appeals

If you applied to the council, you can make a first-party appeal. You can appeal:

• The council’s decision to refuse permission.
• Any conditions the council attached to a grant of permission.
• How the council applied a development contribution scheme or supplementary development contribution scheme to the conditions.

Third-party appeals

If you made a submission to the council on the application, you can make a third-party appeal against the decision or its conditions. You must include the acknowledgement letter the council sent you when you made your submission. Anyone can make a submission in the first 5 weeks after the council receives an application, so this is the step that preserves your right to appeal later. See How to apply for planning permission.

Other people

Some people who did not make a submission can still appeal in limited cases, including:

• An organisation listed in the Planning and Development Regulations that should have been notified but was not.
• An environmental protection group, but only where an environmental impact assessment report was required and not submitted.
• An owner, occupier or person with an interest in land bordering the site. They can apply to An Coimisiún Pleanála for leave to appeal, and the Commission decides whether there are extenuating circumstances.

If you cannot appeal, you may be able to make an observation once someone else has made a valid appeal.

What cannot be appealed

The Commission lists several kinds of decision that cannot be appealed. They include a council decision that an application is invalid, and a grant or refusal for development in a strategic development zone. It is also not permitted to make a second application for the same development to the council while an appeal is with the Commission.

What is the deadline?

You must appeal within 4 weeks beginning on the date the council makes its decision. This is a strict time limit set by section 37 of the Planning and Development Act 2000. A late appeal is invalid.

• The decision date is the date the chief executive’s order is signed. It is in the decision notice, or on the council’s planning register.
• An Coimisiún Pleanála must receive your appeal by 5.30pm on the final day.
• If the last day falls on a weekend or public holiday when the Commission’s offices are closed, your appeal is valid if received on the next working day.

The Commission has a calendar tool on its website that works out your last date.

How do I make an appeal?

1. Check the date. Work out your deadline from the decision date.
2. Write your appeal. It must be in valid written form and include your name and address. If an agent acts for you, they must give their own name and address as well as yours.
3. Identify the application. Give the council name and planning reference number, or include a copy of the decision.
4. State your grounds. Explain your reasons and arguments, and attach only new supporting documents. The Commission already receives the application documents from the council.
5. Pay the correct fee.
6. Send it. Use the online appeals platform where you are eligible, or send it by post, or deliver it in person. No official form is required, although a form is available to help. An emailed appeal is not valid.

How much does an appeal cost?

The Commission publishes a fees list. The main figures are:

A first-party appeal about commercial development that includes an environmental impact assessment report or Natura impact statement costs €3,000. Some public bodies pay reduced fees. If your appeal is invalid, the Commission returns your documents and refunds your fee. If you withdraw a valid appeal, there is no refund. Always check the current fees page before you pay.

What happens after I appeal?

1. The Commission checks that your appeal is valid and writes to tell you.
2. It sends a copy of the appeal to the council, the applicant and any other appellant. They have 4 weeks from the date of the Commission’s letter to comment, and late comments cannot be considered.
3. An inspector reviews the documents and normally visits the site.
4. The inspector writes a report and recommendation.
5. The Commission decides, based on all the documents on the case.

An Coimisiún Pleanála has a statutory objective to decide cases within 18 weeks, and this includes the comment periods. If it cannot meet that objective, it writes to the people involved. It can also hold an oral hearing in some cases.

What happens when the Commission decides?

You receive a letter and a copy of the Commission’s order. The Act says that when it decides an appeal, the Commission decides the application as if it had been made to it in the first place, and its decision replaces the council’s decision. It can grant or refuse permission. The order must give the reasons for the decision, and where it differs from the inspector’s recommendation it must state the main reason.

If the Commission grants permission, it makes the grant after its decision. The usual 5-year life of a permission applies from the date of the grant. See How long does planning permission take? The Commission can also dismiss an appeal that is, for example, vexatious, frivolous or made just to delay development.

Decisions of the Commission can be challenged in the High Court by judicial review, which has its own strict time limits and rules. If you are considering this, get legal advice.

Rules are changing, so check before you appeal

The Planning and Development Act 2024 will replace the 2000 Act, but it is being commenced in stages. An Coimisiún Pleanála has replaced An Bord Pleanála. The Irish Statute Book, updated to 21 October 2026, lists the repeal of sections 125 to 145 of the 2000 Act, which cover appeals, as not yet commenced. The time limits above are therefore the current ones. Check the Commission’s website and the planning pages on gov.ie for any change.

Check before you apply

The strongest way to avoid an appeal is to know the rules for your site before you apply. Zoning, protected structures, conservation areas and nature sites all affect what a council will grant. A pre-planning report checks zoning, protected structures and nature sites at an address, and you can read more on the pre-planning report page. Rules depend on your exact site, so confirm with your council. You can also look at past decisions in planning applications.