Neighbourhoods · the four Dublin councils · last 12 months · 322 electoral divisions

Where permission is hardest to get — Dublin neighbourhoods

Data updated 26 Sept 2026 · register lag up to 7 days · sources & freshness

7,232 planning applications were lodged across 322 electoral divisions in the last 12 months — 13.9 per 1,000 households. 15% sought retention for something already built; 14% of decisions were refusals. Every table below ranks the neighbourhoods on one of those, and every row is a page.

13.9

applications per 1,000 households

40%

household works

15%

retention · built first

14%

of decisions refused

20%

went through further information

Busiest Extending Built first Refusals Slowest Further info Appeals Building 12 months 24 months

All Dublin Dublin City Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Fingal South Dublin

Where permission is hardest to get 96 ranked

Share of decisions in the window that were refusals (grant or refuse only; invalid and withdrawn left out). Ranked only where the neighbourhood has at least 20 decisions in the window. Top: Rush (54%); bottom: Rathfarnham-Ballyroan (0%).

#	Neighbourhood	refused	Decided	Households	Retention	Refused	Median days
1	Rush · Fingal	54%	46	3,551	20%	54%	55
2	Lusk · Fingal	43%	51	3,341	20%	43%	54
3	Holmpatrick · Fingal	40%	35	1,390	13%	40%	61
4	Balbriggan Rural · Fingal	32%	38	6,127	21%	32%	58
5	Rathcoole · South Dublin	32%	28	2,172	23%	32%	42
6	Skerries · Fingal	30%	56	3,096	21%	30%	55
7	Donabate · Fingal	30%	47	3,900	28%	30%	55
8	Shankill-Rathmichael · Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown	30%	27	2,030	2%	30%	54
9	Blackrock-Williamstown · Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown	30%	27	1,060	10%	30%	53
10	Balgriffin · Fingal	29%	21	1,238	7%	29%	55
11	Clondalkin-Monastery · South Dublin	28%	39	3,933	19%	28%	47
12	Rathmines East A · Dublin City	27%	26	2,227	3%	27%	55
13	Saint Kevin's · Dublin City	26%	27	1,986	30%	26%	55
14	Saggart · South Dublin	25%	24	1,791	26%	25%	51
15	Clonskeagh-Windy Arbour · Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown	24%	25	1,078	7%	24%	51
16	Kinsaley · Fingal	23%	48	3,746	25%	23%	55
17	Dubber · Fingal	23%	26	3,003	19%	23%	59
18	Howth · Fingal	22%	86	3,126	24%	22%	55
19	Blackrock-Central · Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown	22%	36	1,368	13%	22%	53
20	The Ward · Fingal	20%	70	3,674	32%	20%	54
21	Cabinteely-Loughlinstown · Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown	19%	27	1,993	17%	19%	53
22	Killiney North · Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown	19%	43	1,228	14%	19%	51
23	Malahide West · Fingal	19%	27	2,141	5%	19%	53
24	Clondalkin Village · South Dublin	19%	27	3,201	19%	19%	54
25	Lucan-St. Helens · South Dublin	18%	68	5,363	9%	18%	48
26	Blanchardstown-Coolmine · Fingal	18%	34	3,565	14%	18%	54
27	Portmarnock North · Fingal	18%	22	1,423	14%	18%	54
28	Castleknock-Knockmaroon · Fingal	17%	83	6,937	12%	17%	52
29	Royal Exchange A · Dublin City	17%	23	1,679	25%	17%	55
30	Lucan Heights · South Dublin	17%	29	1,921	8%	17%	49
31	Crumlin D · Dublin City	17%	23	1,661	32%	17%	55
32	Tallaght-Kilnamanagh · South Dublin	17%	24	1,552	21%	17%	49
33	Swords-Lissenhall · Fingal	16%	44	3,928	29%	16%	53
34	Stillorgan-Deerpark · Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown	16%	43	1,001	9%	16%	52
35	Blackrock-Carysfort · Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown	15%	39	2,185	4%	15%	52
36	Stillorgan-Kilmacud · Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown	15%	40	1,544	11%	15%	50
37	Mansion House B · Dublin City	15%	20	330	14%	15%	59
38	Terenure-Greentrees · South Dublin	15%	26	1,113	18%	15%	52
39	Shankill-Shanganagh · Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown	15%	20	1,931	3%	15%	54
40	Dundrum-Balally · Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown	14%	58	3,306	12%	14%	51

Every council on the same measure 31

The 31 councils, same window, same rule. No per-household figures outside Dublin: the census spine is loaded for the Dublin region only.

#	Council	refused	Applications	Retention	Refused	Median days
1	Fingal	23%	1,645	21%	23%	54
2	Kildare	20%	1,588	23%	20%	62
3	Galway County	16%	1,987	24%	16%	55
4	Wexford	16%	1,240	26%	16%	54
5	Longford	16%	311	21%	16%	48
6	Meath	15%	1,829	22%	15%	55
7	Westmeath	14%	686	22%	14%	61
8	Roscommon	14%	685	24%	14%	102
9	Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown	13%	1,946	11%	13%	52
10	South Dublin	13%	1,179	16%	13%	50
11	Louth	13%	1,006	29%	13%	51
12	Galway City	13%	347	27%	13%	55
13	Limerick	11%	1,448	21%	11%	58
14	Wicklow	11%	1,376	20%	11%	54
15	Kerry	11%	1,226	31%	11%	63
16	Dublin City	10%	2,463	14%	10%	55
17	Offaly	10%	863	22%	10%	78
18	Carlow	10%	454	17%	10%	63
19	Cork City	10%	6	—	10%	55
20	Waterford	8%	1,131	21%	8%	55
21	Cork County	7%	3,338	22%	7%	66
22	Donegal	7%	2,568	23%	7%	50
23	Laois	7%	1,022	26%	7%	55
24	Sligo	7%	560	24%	7%	53
25	Mayo	6%	1,318	20%	6%	59
26	Clare	6%	1,198	22%	6%	55
27	Kilkenny	6%	916	23%	6%	63
28	Monaghan	6%	656	18%	6%	99
29	Cavan	5%	786	23%	5%	63
30	Leitrim	5%	248	29%	5%	52
31	Tipperary	4%	1,503	31%	4%	56

How it is counted

A neighbourhood is a CSO electoral division; its households and population are the 2022 census totals of the small areas inside it. Every application, appeal and commencement notice is placed in the division its point falls in.
Household works are applications whose description says extension, attic, dormer, porch, garden room, garage conversion and the like, and does not say apartments, units, commercial, retail or office.
Retention is an application whose type or description says retention — permission for something already built. Its grant rate is shown where at least ten were decided.
Decisions count grants and refusals only; invalid, withdrawn and undecided applications are left out of every rate. Days are from the council’s receipt date to its decision date.
A rate is printed only where the neighbourhood has at least 20 of the thing being rated in the window; smaller ones show counts and are not ranked.

Sources: National Planning Application Database (NPAD), CSO Census 2022 Small Area Population Statistics, An Coimisiún Pleanála case list, Building Control Management System commencement notices · fetched 26 Sept 2026, 03:36

Source	Licence	Fetched	Link
National Planning Application Database (NPAD)	CC-BY-4.0	26 Sept 2026, 03:36	open
CSO Census 2022 Small Area Population Statistics	CC-BY-4.0	26 Sept 2026, 03:36	open
An Coimisiún Pleanála case list	CC-BY-4.0	26 Sept 2026, 03:36	open
Building Control Management System commencement notices	CC-BY-4.0	26 Sept 2026, 03:36	open

Recomputed weekly from the store; last built 26 Sept 2026.

Homes permitted, not started · Grant rates by council · Sources & freshness