The six things that changed in Ireland's asbestos rules in 2025.

1. Notification became a permit system

Under the previous regime, a contractor notified the HSA before notifiable asbestos work and could proceed. Under S.I. 632/2025, a permit must be applied for and issued before work begins. The permit is specific to the job, the site and the duration. A public register of approved permits is maintained.

• Notification must normally be submitted at least 10 days before work begins; the HSA can agree in writing to a shorter period.
• Required submissions: Plan of Work, site-specific Risk Assessment, training records.
• HSA guidance says the permit number should be available on site for inspection.
• Beginning notifiable work before the permit number is received is a criminal offence.

Permit notifications go to [email protected]. See how the permit system works for detail.

2. The occupational exposure limit was cut tenfold

The occupational exposure limit (OEL) for asbestos was reduced from 0.1 fibres per cm³ to 0.01 fibres per cm³, a tenfold reduction. By 2029, electron microscopy will replace phase-contrast microscopy for fibre detection, capable of detecting thinner fibres that the older method missed.

This is an eight-hour time-weighted occupational limit for workplace air. It is not a safe-exposure threshold or, by itself, the test for post-removal clearance. The HSA says exposure should be well below the limit and as low as technically possible.

3. Removal is now prioritised over manage-in-place

In an employer's risk assessment for asbestos work, removal must be prioritised over other handling. A separate duty applies before demolition or major refurbishment: asbestos must be removed so far as reasonably practicable unless removal would create a greater risk than leaving it in place.

Practical effect: working around or encapsulating material is not the automatic first option when planned work may disturb it. Intact material outside the work can still be managed in place.

4. Stronger information and survey duties before work

Before an employer starts relevant work in premises built before 31 December 2004, they must establish whether asbestos is present. The rule covers:

• Demolition.
• Maintenance.
• Renovation.

If adequate information is unavailable, the employer must arrange a suitable survey by a competent person. Where doubt remains, the material must be treated as asbestos. See the survey guide.

5. Risk assessment now includes passive exposure

The duty to assess asbestos risk now explicitly includes secondary and passive exposure: building occupants, maintenance teams, cleaners, anyone affected by vibration, deterioration or nearby works. Duty-holders must identify who may be exposed, assess the nature, degree and duration, and reduce exposure to the lowest technically possible level.

Practical effect: risk assessments need to consider more than the operatives doing the removal. The neighbours, the kids upstairs, the cleaner who comes in after: all must be assessed.

6. Medical surveillance was expanded

Where asbestos exposure is possible, employers must now provide:

• Health assessments for exposed workers.
• A responsible medical practitioner.
• Individual medical records, kept for up to 40 years.
• An occupational health register.

These are employer duties linked to occupational exposure, not medical-surveillance duties placed on private homeowners.

Sources

• S.I. No. 632/2025 (Irish Statute Book)
• HSA asbestos legislation and guidance
• HSA 2025 Code of Practice

Frequently asked questions

When did the 2025 changes take effect?

S.I. No. 632/2025, the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Exposure to Asbestos) (Amendment) Regulations 2025, was signed into law in December 2025. The new exposure limit took effect from 21 December 2025. The permit system replaced the previous notification system from the same date.

Do the changes apply to homeowners?

The regulations place duties mainly on employers and self-employed people, not a blanket statutory duty on every private homeowner. They still affect domestic jobs: a contractor working in a home must comply with the workplace rules, establish whether asbestos is present before relevant work and obtain a job-specific HSA permit number where the work is notifiable.

What is the practical difference between notification and permit?

Under the previous notification system, the contractor told the HSA work was happening and the work could go ahead. Under the current process, all required notification components must be received and the HSA must assign a unique permit number before work begins. HSA guidance says the permit number should be available on site for inspection, and the HSA maintains a public register of current permits.

Why was the exposure limit cut tenfold?

The new occupational exposure limit (OEL) of 0.01 fibres per cm³ aligns with EU Directive (EU) 2023/2668 and reflects current scientific understanding of the dose-response relationship for asbestos-related diseases. The previous limit of 0.1 f/cm³ was set decades earlier when the evidence was less developed. By 2029, electron microscopy will replace phase-contrast microscopy for fibre detection, capable of detecting thinner fibres that the old method missed.

What does "removal prioritised over manage-in-place" mean for my property?

When an employer assesses work that may expose workers to asbestos, removal must be prioritised over other forms of handling. Separately, before demolition or major refurbishment, asbestos must be removed so far as reasonably practicable unless removal would create a greater risk than leaving it in place. This does not create a blanket duty to remove intact asbestos elsewhere in a home or other building.