I know of many such cases too. Such as someone opening a new entrance, and being forced to close it up and use the old one, one person who was forced to reslate an entire roof when the slates they put on were brown instead of the black slate that was in the planning, gable windows being closed up which had been made without planning etc etc. On the other hand I've seen loads of people do exactly what they wanted regardless of planning, and afterwards applying and obtaining retention. You'd be wasting your time looking for a standard in Irish planning, there is none. In my opinion the system is entirely corrupt and political.