Disability Access Certificate

A Disability Access Certificate should be applied for at the same time as a Fire Safety Certificate, submitted to the Planning Authority with the Commencement Notice. Buildings or works may not be occupied, opened or used in the absence of a granted Disability Access Certificate.

A Disability Access Certificate is required for new buildings other than dwellings (including apartment buildings) and certain other works (as set out in Article 20 D (1) of SI 351 of 2009) to which the Requirements of Part M of the Building Regulations apply, which commence or take place on or after 1 January 2010.

Following recent amendments to the Building Control Regulations, see S.I. No. 229 of 2021, from Thursday 1st July 2021 all applications for  Disability Access Certificates and Revised Disability Access Certificates to Limerick City and County Council can be submitted online via the Building Control Management System (BCMS) without the need to submit additional paper copies. The amended application forms should be used when submitting paper applications. Forms are available to download in the supporting documents at the end of this page.

Limerick City and County Council would recommend the BCMS as the preferred method for the submission of all Building Control applications.

If you have not used the BCMS previously, it will be necessary for you to sign up for a BCMS account in order to access the online submission facility. Please go to the BCMS website and use the 'Sign Up' option to register for an account. All instructional videos will be posted on the National Building Control Office YouTube Channel.

Disability Access Certificate Application

The following items are needed when submitting a Disability Access Certificate application:

1. Drawings including a site or layout plan, in duplicate (for hardcopy applications), suitably marked, noted, highlighted (e.g. coloured, toned or other) and such other particulars e.g. a report as are necessary to:

(a) Identify and describe the works or building to which the application relates.

(b) Demonstrate how the building or works comply with the requirements of Part M of the Building Regulations, in particular in relation to the following, where applicable:

• Approach to a building 
• Access to a building 
• Circulation within a building 
• Use of facilities within a building 
• Bedrooms in hotels and other guest accommodations 
• Sanitary conveniences 
• Audience or spectator facilities 
• Apartments in a building 

Sufficient information should be provided to enable the building control authority to assess whether the works or building would, if constructed in accordance with the said plans and other particulars, comply with the requirements of Part M of the Building Regulations.

2. Completed application form (find at end of page).

3. Appropriate application fee.
 

Revised Disability Access Certificate Application

A Revised Disability Access Certificate shall be required where significant revision is made to the design or works of a building or an extension of, a material alteration to or a material change of use of a building in respect of which a disability access certificate has been granted by a building control authority.

The following items are needed when submitting a Revised Disability Access Certificate Application:

1. Revised plans, including a site or layout plan in duplicate (for hardcopy applications) and such other revised particulars as are necessary to 

• Identify and describe the works or building to which the application relates.
• Enable the building control authority to assess, whether the said works or building would, if constructed in accordance with the said plans and other particulars, comply with the requirements of Part M of the Second Schedule to the Building Regulations.
• Identify the nature and extent of the proposed use and, where appropriate, of the existing use of the building concerned. 

2. Appropriate application fee
 

Cost of Disability / Revised Access Certificate

Subject to the limited exemptions below, the fee for a disability/revised access certificate shall be €800 per building, or €500 per building where the application is made prior to commencement and coincides with an application for a fire safety certificate, where relevant.​

Fee Exemptions

Development works by certain organisations are exempt from paying DAC application fees. For example:

• Certain classes of voluntary organisations; not for profit accommodation of homeless persons​
• A primary school, where the maximum number of mainstream teachers employed is or will be 4 or less

Full details are listed in Section 22 of the Building Control Regulations 1997 - 2021.

Where a Fee Exemption is being claimed, a completed Fee Exemption Form must be submitted with the associated application.  

​See explanatory document 'Fee Exemptions', and 'Building Control Fee Exemption Form' in the supporting documents below.

 

Contact Information

Applications should be sent to:

Limerick City and County Council
Fire and Emergency Services
Lissanalta House
Dooradoyle
Limerick