How long does planning permission last in Ireland?

A planning permission lasts 5 years from the date it is granted, unless the permission itself sets a different period. Outline permission generally lasts 3 years, according to Citizens Information. Work not started within the period loses the permission, and work started but not finished loses it for the unfinished part.

The rule in the Act

Section 40 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 sets "the appropriate period": 5 years from the date of the grant, or the period specified for that permission under section 41. When that period ends:

• if the development has not been started, the permission stops having effect for the whole development;
• if it has been started, the permission stops having effect for the part not completed within the period.

Anything already done under the permission stays valid. The time limit does not affect continuing a use allowed by the permission, or the duty to comply with its conditions once the work is complete.

Permissions without this time limit

Section 40 does not apply to:

• a permission to retain a structure (retention permission);
• a permission granted for a limited period only;
• structures or works in the permission that are needed for, or incidental to, the use of a building that has itself been completed;
• roads, services and open spaces in a development where only some of the buildings are finished, as far as they serve the completed buildings.

Asking for more time

Under section 42, you can ask the council to extend the period before it runs out. The council extends it, by up to 5 years, if it is satisfied that:

• the development was started before the period ends;
• substantial works were carried out during the period;
• the development will be completed within a reasonable time;

and the application is made, in the form set by the regulations, before the end of the period. The council can attach conditions, such as security for completing the work.

A permission can be extended in this way no more than 2 times, and the extensions together cannot exceed 5 years. The council's objective is to give its decision within 8 weeks of a complete application. The Act also has separate extension rules, with their own application windows, for permissions that include houses where the work has not started; ask your council whether they apply to you.

Which law applies

Planning applications and permissions are still dealt with under the Planning and Development Act 2000. The Planning and Development Act 2024 is to replace it, but the repeal of the 2000 Act had not been brought into force when the Irish Statute Book's Legislation Directory was last updated, on 21 October 2026. The sections quoted here are from the Law Reform Commission's revised text, updated to 12 August 2026.

Next steps

To ask for an extension, contact the planning section of the council that granted the permission before the period runs out. New applications can be made on planning.localgov.ie. For the time a new application takes, see how long planning takes; for the cost, see planning fees.