COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, January 12, 2026

QUESTION NO.3

QUESTION: Councillor C. Brady

To ask the Chief Executive to report on the number of planning permission exemptions requested to convert above ground-floor premises and former pubs into residential units, by Local Electoral Area, presented in tabular format by year for the past five years, and to make a statement on this matter.

REPLY:

The Planning and Development (Amendment) (No.2) Regulations 2018 - S.I. No. 30 of 2018 - which came into operation on 8 February 2018, provided for an exemption from the requirement to obtain planning permission in respect of the change of use of certain vacant commercial premises, including vacant areas above ground floor premises, to residential use. The regulations are primarily aimed at facilitating the productive re-use of qualifying vacant commercial buildings as homes, while also facilitating urban renewal and the bringing on stream of increased housing supply.

The Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 648 of 2025) extends to 31 December 2028 the exemption given by S.I. 30 of 2018.

The requirements as set out in earlier when the exemption was introduced and first extended remain in place,  and include:

• In order to avail of the exemptions being provided for, the structure, or part of the structure, which is the subject of the change of use must have been vacant for at least 2 years immediately prior to the commencement of the relevant works, with such works being required to be completed by 31 December 2028.
• The classes of use that qualify under the 2018 and 2022 change of use exempted development provisions – i.e. Classes 1, 2, 3 and 6 and 12 – as outlined in Part 4 of Schedule 2 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as amended, remains unchanged.
• Compliance with the conditions and limitations that applied to the 2018 exempted development provisions, as outlined in previous Circular Letter PL 01/2018, continue to apply under these regulations:
  1. Development must not contravene a condition attached to a permission issued under the Act, including any condition specifying the permitted use of the building concerned.
  2. Notification Requirement - a planning authority must be notified in writing of the details of the development at least 2 weeks prior to the commencement of the proposed change of use,

No such notifications to convert above ground-floor premises and former pubs into residential units were received in the last five years.