ACP: An Coimisiún Pleanála
An Coimisiún Pleanála (ACP) is Ireland's national planning body. It replaced An Bord Pleanála under the Planning and Development Act 2024, keeping the same role: deciding appeals against local-authority planning decisions and consenting large projects directly. PlanningLeads tracks 332 strategic-infrastructure cases on that direct route, carrying 3,130 MW of declared capacity.
· checked against the sources below
What changed from An Bord Pleanála, and when?
An Coimisiún Pleanála replaced An Bord Pleanála under the Planning and Development Act 2024. It is the same national planning role, restructured and renamed, not a new function.
In practice that means three things for anyone reading the record. Decisions made before the change are still referenced under the An Bord Pleanála name. Case reference numbers carried over, so an older case number still resolves. And the statutory routes, appeals, strategic infrastructure and referrals, are unchanged in substance.
What does An Coimisiún Pleanála decide?
Appeals against a local authority's decision on a planning application. The Commission makes a fresh decision on the application.
Large projects consented directly rather than through a council: grid, wind, solar, water, ports and data centres.
Questions such as Section 5 declarations on whether particular works are exempted development.
Strategic infrastructure decided by ACP
The projects An Coimisiún Pleanála decides directly, tracked from the public record. These never appear in an ordinary council planning feed. Planners and public-sector teams can see how the record serves them on PlanningLeads for planners and for the public sector.
By sector
Common questions
What is An Coimisiún Pleanála?
An Coimisiún Pleanála is Ireland's national planning body. It decides appeals against local-authority planning decisions, and consents certain large projects directly, including strategic infrastructure. It replaced An Bord Pleanála under the Planning and Development Act 2024.
What is the difference between An Bord Pleanála and An Coimisiún Pleanála?
They are the same national planning role, restructured and renamed. An Coimisiún Pleanála replaced An Bord Pleanála under the Planning and Development Act 2024. Older cases and decisions are still commonly referenced under the An Bord Pleanála name, and case reference numbers carried over.
What does An Coimisiún Pleanála decide?
Three main things: appeals against local-authority decisions on planning applications, strategic infrastructure consented directly rather than through a council, and referrals such as Section 5 declarations on whether works are exempt.
Who can appeal a planning decision to An Coimisiún Pleanála?
The applicant, or a third party who made a submission or observation on the original application, within the statutory period after the local authority's decision.
Is an appeal good or bad news for a project?
An appeal signals delay and contest. But a grant on appeal is a decisive signal that the project is finally cleared to proceed, which is why it is one of the strongest timing signals for contractors and suppliers.
Planning terms in full
Source: An Coimisiún Pleanála. PlanningLeads tracks the published record across all 31 local authorities.
Sources
- Planning and Development Act 2024 (Irish Statute Book, enacted text)
- Planning and Development Act 2000, revised (Law Reform Commission)
- Commencement circular 2A on An Coimisiún Pleanála, updated 2 July 2025 (gov.ie)
- An Coimisiún Pleanála
- An Coimisiún Pleanála fees and appeals
- Cases received or decided by An Bord Pleanála from 2016 (data.gov.ie)
Status, stated precisely: the Planning and Development Act 2024 was enacted in 2024 and is being commenced in stages. The provisions that established An Coimisiún Pleanála were in force from 18 June 2025. Parts of the Act not yet commenced do not apply, and the 2000 Act as amended still governs those procedures.