Fernhill Cottage, Kilgobbin Lane, Stepaside, Co Dublin

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• How long does planning permission take in Ireland? A 53-day median, and the tailThe median Dublin application took 53 days from receipt to decision in the year to September 2026; one in ten took over 161 days. The eight-week clock, what stops it, and what "final grant" means.
• Planning permission vs exempted development — 29% of section 5 requests came back "not exempt"Of 251 section 5 declarations decided by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown and South Dublin in the 12 months to September 2026, 29% found the works needed permission. How exemption works, where it is lost, and how to get a €80 declaration.
• Protected structures and architectural conservation areas — what needs permission, the free section 57 declaration, and what the register shows368 applications naming a protected structure were decided across the Greater Dublin councils in 12 months and 88% were granted. What being on the Record of Protected Structures means, what an ACA takes away from the ordinary exemptions, how to get a section 57 declaration, and what buyers should check.
• Planning permission for an extension in Ireland — the 45 m² exemption and a 94% grant rateDublin councils granted 94% of extension applications decided in the year to September 2026. Since 27 July 2026 a rear extension of up to 45 m² can be exempt. The conditions, when you still apply, the fee and the timeline.