Apple scraps plans for data centre in Ireland after opposition and delays
A business minister says she regrets the tech giant's decision as it would have brought jobs to Galway and the west of Ireland.
Thursday 10 May 2018 14:04, UK
Apple has scrapped proposals to build a data centre in Ireland after delays in the planning process.
The development at Athenry in Co Galway has been embroiled in furious local opposition and was held up in the court system more than three years since it was first proposed.
In a statement, Apple said: "Despite our best efforts, delays in the approval process have forced us to make other plans and we will not be able to move forward with the data centre.
"While disappointing, this setback will not dampen our enthusiasm for future projects in Ireland as our business continues to grow."
The company said it was still going ahead with expanding its operations in Ireland.
The statement went on: "We're deeply committed to our employees and customers in Ireland and are expanding our operations in Cork, with a new facility for our talented team there."
The Republic is heavily reliant on jobs within the technology industry to bolster its open economy and is attractive to businesses because of its low corporate tax rate.
Business, Enterprise and Innovation Minister Heather Humphreys said: "I very much regret that Apple will not be pursuing its plans to construct a data centre in Athenry, especially as the project would have been a source of significant investment and job creation for Galway and the west of Ireland."
She said the Government did everything it could to support the investment which included high-level engagement with the technology giant, which has been operating in Ireland since 1980, both at home and abroad.
"Ultimately, in spite of these efforts, Apple has taken a commercial decision not to proceed, making it clear that the delays that beset this project caused them to reconsider their plans," she added.
She said the delays highlighted the problem of the state's planning and legal processes taking too long and showed they needed to become more efficient.
"The Government has therefore already been working, over the last number of months, to make improvements to those processes," she said.
"This will ensure we are better placed to take advantage of future such investment opportunities, whether from data centre providers or other sectors."