Protected structures and ACAs in Ireland

Every county and city council keeps a Record of Protected Structures (RPS) as part of its development plan, and can designate Architectural Conservation Areas (ACAs) where the character of a whole street or district is protected. If a building is a protected structure, works that would materially affect its character need planning permission, even ones that would normally be exempt. There's no single national map, because each council publishes its own.

Protected structures

Under Part IV of the Planning and Development Act 2000, protection covers more than the outside walls:

the interior as well as the exterior,
the land around it (its curtilage) and any structures within it, such as outbuildings, walls and gates,
fixtures and features of the building.

Curtilage isn't drawn on any map, so a site next to a protected structure, or in its grounds, may be affected even if the structure itself is elsewhere.

If you're unsure whether planned works need permission, you can ask the council for a declaration under section 57 of the Act, which sets out what works would or wouldn't affect the character of the structure. Owners also have a duty to prevent a protected structure from becoming endangered.

Architectural Conservation Areas

An ACA protects the character of a place: a streetscape, a square, a village core. Buildings in an ACA aren't individually protected, but works to their exterior that would affect the area's character, such as replacing windows, roofs or shopfronts, may lose their exempted development status and need permission. Each ACA has its own statement of character in the development plan.

Where data is missing

InSite covers 27 of Ireland's 31 local authorities. Longford, Sligo, Westmeath and Wexford don't publish their RPS in a form that can be queried, and coverage is partial for Tipperary (former South Tipperary only) and Waterford (former county only). The report says so when your site falls in one of these areas. For a definitive answer, check the council's current development plan or ask its planning office.

NIAH: the national survey, which isn't legal protection on its own
Archaeology and SMR zones

Sources

Each council's Record of Protected Structures and ACAs, from the council's own map service or the Heritage Council's Heritage Maps
Planning and Development Act 2000, Part IV

Last reviewed 2026-10-02.

Protected structures map: RPS and Architectural Conservation Areas

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