Planning permission in Ireland attaches to the land rather than to the individual who applied for it, so it generally transfers automatically to a new owner when the land is sold. The new owner takes on the benefit of the permission along with responsibility for complying with its conditions.
In Ireland, planning permission is generally a right that attaches to the land itself rather than to the person or company that applied for it, meaning it does not need to be formally reassigned when ownership changes. When a site with an unexpired, unimplemented permission is sold, the new owner typically steps into the position of the original applicant and can build in accordance with that permission, subject to its conditions.
This does not mean the transfer is entirely without formalities. The new owner should check the exact wording of the permission and its conditions, confirm it hasn't lapsed (permissions generally last five years unless extended), and, where the permission required specific pre-commencement conditions to be discharged, ensure these have been or will be complied with. Some conditions may also require notice to the local authority of the change in ownership, particularly where compliance is being monitored.
Buyers relying on an existing permission should also verify that no development has already commenced under it in a way that might affect what remains available to build, and that any bonds, contributions, or financial conditions attached to the permission are understood, since these obligations typically pass with the land as well.