Section 5 Declaration
A formal request asking the planning authority to declare whether something is 'development', and whether it is 'exempted development'.
Under Section 5 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, any person can ask a planning authority to declare whether a particular activity is or is not development, and is or is not exempted development. The authority issues a declaration, which can be referred onward to An Coimisiún Pleanála.
A Section 5 resolves uncertainty before money is committed — confirming whether permission is needed and de-risking a project's timeline.
Section 5 references appear in local-authority registers; a referral can carry the question to An Coimisiún Pleanála.
See it in live data
Common questions
Any person can request one from the planning authority.
It can be referred to An Coimisiún Pleanála for review.
Whether the activity is development, and whether it is exempted development.
Related terms
This is a plain-English summary, not legal advice. Planning rules carry conditions and exceptions — always verify a specific case against the official source or a planning professional before acting.