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Sources and methodology

Every number on this site comes from a public source. Here is where, and how we handle it.

Data sources

National Planning Application Database (IrishPlanningApplications)

Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH) and Irish local authorities. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Updated: daily.

Planning application data: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and Irish local authorities, licensed under CC BY 4.0.

An Coimisiún Pleanála cases 2016 onwards

An Coimisiún Pleanála. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Updated: weekly.

Appeal data: An Coimisiún Pleanála, licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Building Commencement and Completion Data 2014 - present

National Building Control Office (NBCO). Licence: CC BY 4.0. Updated: daily.

Commencement notice data: National Building Control Office, licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Local Authorities, National Statutory Boundaries, Ungeneralised, 2026

Tailte Éireann. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Updated: on change.

© Tailte Éireann. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.

CSO Urban Areas 2022 (built-up areas)

Central Statistics Office / Tailte Éireann. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Updated: on change.

Source: CSO and Tailte Éireann, licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Kildare County Council planning applications

Kildare County Council. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Updated: daily.

Contains Irish Public Sector Data (Kildare County Council) licensed under CC BY 4.0.

South Dublin County Council planning register

South Dublin County Council. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Updated: daily.

Contains Irish Public Sector Data (South Dublin County Council) licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Fingal County Council planning applications

Fingal County Council. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Updated: daily.

Contains Irish Public Sector Data licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.

Cork City Council planning applications

Cork City Council. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Updated: daily.

Contains Irish Public Sector Data licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.

Westmeath County Council planning applications

Westmeath County Council. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Updated: daily.

Contains Irish Public Sector Data licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.

NPWS designated sites (SPA=0, pNHA=1, NHA=2, SAC=3)

National Parks and Wildlife Service, DHLGH. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Updated: quarterly check.

Copyright Government of Ireland. This service was created by National Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, licensed for re-use under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.

National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, buildings

NIAH, DHLGH. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Updated: quarterly check.

Copyright Government of Ireland. This dataset was created by National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Sites and Monuments Record

National Monuments Service, DHLGH. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Updated: quarterly check.

Copyright Government of Ireland. This dataset was created by National Monuments Service, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Council planning department contacts

HomeData.ie (compiled by hand from each council's own website). Licence: internal (public contact details, facts). Updated: yearly check, plus on change.

Contains Irish Public Sector Data licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.

Council local planning policies (plain-English summaries)

HomeData.ie (written from each council's own development plan and website). Licence: internal (summaries of public policy, source linked on every row). Updated: on change of development plan.

Contains Irish Public Sector Data licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.

Council development plans (name, period and where to read them)

HomeData.ie (compiled by hand from each council's own development plan pages). Licence: internal (plan titles, dates and links, facts). Updated: on change of development plan or variation.

Contains Irish Public Sector Data licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.

Address search

Address suggestions on the order form are provided by Geoapify, using data from OpenStreetMap. © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Icons and illustrations

Many icons are from the Solar icon set by 480 Design, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Other icons are from Tabler Icons (MIT licence). Some illustrations use DiceBear Notionists (CC0).

How we process planning applications

  • Applicant names are never published. The councils' own feeds sometimes include them. We drop those fields when we load the data, and we hide any description that looks as though it names a person or company.
  • Removal. Every application page has a “Request removal” link. Removed records stay removed after every refresh.
  • Refreshed every night. Councils publish at different speeds, so recent weeks can be incomplete. Each page says the date its data runs to.

How we calculate the numbers

  • Granted share. Applications granted divided by applications granted or refused over the last 5 years. Withdrawn, invalid and unfinished applications are left out.
  • Typical decision time. The middle value of weeks from receipt to decision, for applications decided without a request for more information, received in the last 3 years.
  • Asked for more information. The share of decided applications where the council requested further information.
  • Project types. We group applications automatically from their description, for example extension, attic conversion or new house. A few applications fit more than one type, so treat these as a guide. We only show a type with at least 30 decisions in a council (15 in a town).
  • Rankings. Councils are ranked on these measures using the same rules. Councils report data in slightly different ways, so small gaps are not meaningful.
  • Restrictions. Counts of nature sites, surveyed buildings and recorded monuments are for the whole council area. A survey is not legal protection, and whether a rule applies to your site depends on exactly where it is.

Corrections

If you spot something wrong, please tell us at hello@homedata.ie and we will check it.