How to buy council land in Dublin, and how to spot a sale before it happens

A Dublin council cannot sell, lease or swap its land without first telling its elected members. Section 183 of the Local Government Act 2001 requires a notice to every member with the land, the name of the person it is going to, the price and any conditions. That notice, on a meeting agenda, is usually the only public record of the deal, and Buildable lists every one it has read.

How the councils actually sell

Mostly on request. Dublin City Council's property page describes the route: you write in with a location map and what you want to do with the land, the council's valuer sets a value, and the sale goes to the elected members at their monthly meeting for approval. In September 2026 the page listed nothing for sale. Fingal describes the same request-led process, ending with a formal written offer that must be accepted in writing.

The members do vote. In 2024 Dublin City Council proposed selling vacant buildings on Liffey Street at a €550,000 guide price; councillors first declined, then agreed a sale to Chapville at €725,000 (Irish Times, 16 September 2024).

What s.183 requires

• The notice. Sent to every member, giving the land, the person the council acquired it from (if known), the person it is going to, the consideration, and any covenants or conditions.
• The timing. The disposal is considered at the first meeting held after 10 days from the day the notices are sent.
• The vote. The members may resolve that the disposal shall not go ahead, or that it go ahead on other terms. If they pass no such resolution, it may proceed.
• Best price. For land held for planning purposes (Planning and Development Act 2000, s.211), a sale below the best price reasonably obtainable needs the Minister's consent.
• Exemptions. A lease of one year or less is outside s.183.

Planning Register's s.183 guide covers the procedure in full, including what the public can do before the meeting.

What the notices are

Most are small. Three kinds dominate: a council tenant buying the freehold of their home, strips of ground sold to an adjoining owner, and rights of way or wayleaves to utilities. On 15 September 2026 Dublin City's Central Area Committee took two on one agenda: the disposal of 1 North Circular Road, and a three-year lease of 371–373 North Circular Road to Bohemians FC. A development site with a named buyer and a price is rarer, and that is the notice worth watching.

Public land beyond the councils

The Land Development Agency keeps a register of relevant public lands. Its first Report on Relevant Public Land (March 2023) found 83 sites with capacity for about 67,000 homes, 38 of them in Dublin. Under s.53 of the Land Development Agency Act 2021 a public body must offer relevant public land to the Agency before selling it on the open market. Those parcels are on public land.

For a buyer

1. Find the parcel on the map and check the council owns it (a folio search: see who owns this site).
2. Write to the council's property or estates section with a map and your proposal. Say what you would build.
3. Expect a valuation, and expect the members to see the price. A proposal that answers a local need (housing, a community use) travels better at the meeting.
4. Watch the agendas. When your notice goes to the members, the local councillors decide.

Frequently asked questions

Does Dublin City Council sell land?

Yes, mostly on application rather than by auction. The council values the land and the elected members approve each sale at a council meeting.

What is a section 183 notice?

The notice a council must give its elected members before it disposes of land, under s.183 of the Local Government Act 2001. It names the land, the buyer or tenant, the price and any conditions.

Can councillors stop a council land sale?

Yes. At the meeting they can resolve that the disposal will not go ahead, or that it go ahead only on other terms.