logo
Amazon Web Services hit with fresh planning delay

Amazon Web Services hit with fresh planning delay

Irish Times07-05-2025

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has been hit with a fresh planning delay on its plans to construct three new data centres in north Dublin.
An Bord Pleanála has written to AWS subsidiary Universal Developers LLC to clarify the impact of the three planned data centres in light of the publication of the Government's Climate Action Plan 2025. The AWS data centre campus is on a 65 acre landholding at Cruiserath Road, Dublin 15 and has a combined power load of 73MW for
The appeals board told the applicants that it has examined the appeal and is of the opinion that more information is required.
In the letter, the appeals board said that it was seeking the applicant's response to the recently published Government Climate Action Plan 2025 and the Environmental Protection Agency's assessment of greenhouse gas emissions from 2023 to 2050 and whether these reports would have any impact on the company's environmental impact assessment report lodged with its planning permission application.
READ MORE
The appeals board has also told the applicants that in order to demonstrate that the Transmission System Operator (TSO) is satisfied that there is sufficient capacity in the national grid to serve the development, it is required to provide a copy of the agreement with the TSO that clearly demonstrates that the applicant has agreed a fixed connection with the TSO for the specific data buildings.
The board has given applicants, Universal Developers LLC until May 29th to provide a response.
The letter from the appeals board comes more than 18 months after five third party appeals lodged with An Bord Pleanála in October 2023 contesting Fingal Co Council's decision to grant planning permission for the three new data centre buildings. The five were Friends of the Earth, the Fingal One Future Group, Dr Colin Doyle, John Conway and Louth Environmental Group and Mannix Coyne
Universal Developers LLC first lodged plans for the data centre two-and-a-half years ago in December 2022.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Setting up your bank account before you arrive in Ireland
Setting up your bank account before you arrive in Ireland

Irish Times

time2 hours ago

  • Irish Times

Setting up your bank account before you arrive in Ireland

On The Money doesn't tend to take too much notice of press releases from banks but something crossed my desk this week that made me stop. It wasn't revolutionary – this is from an Irish bank after all – it was just announcing a simple practical solution to a problem that hasproved intractable. Every year tens of thousands of people arrive in Ireland to study, start a job or return home after an extended period abroad. Getting set up in a new country or back in your homeland throws up all sorts of basic practical issues; housing, setting up utilities, getting paid by your new employer or finding a home for the cash to tide you over for your period of study, almost all of which require you to have details of an account with a local bank. READ MORE Until now, unless you were physically resident in Ireland, you could not set up a current account to manage these basic but necessary functions, never mind about doing it online. Now Bank of Ireland says it is allowing people open accounts in Ireland up to 45 days before they arrive in the State. This allows them to have their financial affairs in order from the day they arrive in the State. I had to check that this was, in fact, new. It seems odd that in 2025 in a world where online banks are eating the lunch of the old traditional players, no one would have thought of this before now. The 'Coming to Ireland' service will even allocate a personal case manager who will get in touch within 48-hours of the application being submitted to guide people through the process. That will be subject of envy from every other bank customer who cannot be sure of ever dealing with the same person twice on their banking affairs. Bank of Ireland's head of retail, Susan Russell, notes that coming to Ireland for the first time or returning home after years abroad 'can be overwhelming'. And it's an experience that affects more people than you might think. Bank of Ireland cites Central Statistics Office figures showing that more than 149,000 people moved to Ireland in the 12 months up to the end of April 2024. Ms Russell says the new service is 'designed to remove barriers', something that will certainly be very welcome. So how does it work? You simply need to follows the steps in an online account application form which you can find here . You'll need photo ID – a passport, driving licence or EU national identity card. You'll also need two proofs of address but, as these will need to be proof of an Irish address, the bank gives you 60 days from your date of arrival to present those. Failure to do so will see the account blocked. The process will also require a selfie of you that is taken as you go through the process. Assuming it works as promised, it will give Bank of Ireland an edge on its rivals. AIB does say that people coming to the State can open an account before they arrive through its website. However, applicants still need to visit a branch on arrival to verify their identity and have the account activated. Once they have all the paperwork, AIB says a customer can expect their new account to be operational within 24 hours. People resident in Ireland over the age of 16 can open an account virtually through the AIB Mobile app, the bank tells me, which is welcome but no good if you're only arriving in the State. AIB is also proud of its translation services which offers service to customers in any one of 150 languages – which sounds helpful for those who do not speak English as a first language – but it still won't allow you to get up and running without trekking into a branch in Ireland. For its part, PTSB requires anyone arriving in Ireland and looking to open an account to present themselves at a branch with all the necessary documentation. People who are already resident here can open an account through PTSB's mobile app. They can even open a joint account if they were not already PTSB customers. However, somewhat ironically, if you are a PTSB customer and wish to open a joint account, you'll have to visit a branch Of course, while all this increased flexibility is welcome, it is worth noting that the banks are only really beginning to make themselves more accommodating because of the threat from the fintechs – like Revolut , N26 and Bunq – who pioneered the concept of online account opening, including scanning of the necessary documents. In a world where banks are making it ever more difficult to actually talk to someone in a branch, people, especially younger potential customers more comfortable with living more of their lives online, increasingly opt for the flexibility and user-friendliness the fintechs offers – despite some of the customer service glitches that have subsequently emerged. Ironically, in a world where traditional banks are looking to reduce branches and branch staff numbers, you would have thought blatant self-interest, if nothing else, would have made them anxious to be at the forefront of flexible, online banking As anyone who regularly battles their way through the stodgy online offerings available from the traditional banks will know, they're far short of offering that sort of cutting edge banking service. Still, at least making it easier for people to get their personal banking arrangements up and running before they land is a small step in the right direction. You can contact us at OnTheMoney@ with personal finance questions you would like to see us address. If you missed last week's newsletter, you can read it here .

ICS Medical Devices to create 72 new jobs by 2028
ICS Medical Devices to create 72 new jobs by 2028

Irish Times

time2 hours ago

  • Irish Times

ICS Medical Devices to create 72 new jobs by 2028

Galway-based catheter designer and manufacturer ICS Medical Devices is to create 72 new jobs by 2028 after winning €1.5 million in funding from Enterprise Ireland. The new roles will come in engineering, human resources, manufacturing and quality. The company currently employs 130 people. ICS, which was founded in 2019, was approved for the funding through a number of Enterprise Ireland supports. It said it will be invested in facilities, capabilities, training and development, digitalisation, as well as in new technologies. The latest accounts filed by the company, which cover the 12 months to the end of June last year, show it generated a turnover of €10.7 million in the year, which was up from €7.8 million the year before. READ MORE It made a profit of €2.6 million over the same period, which was up from €1.8 million. Chief executive Seamus Fahey told The Irish Times he would not disclose specific figures for the most recent 12 month period, but said the company was 'definitely continuing our year-on-year trend of about 20 per cent growth'. Minister of State with responsibility for Employment Alan Dillon said: 'ICS is an Irish company that has experienced impressive growth in the last six years and is leading in the research and development within the medical device space. 'The Government through Enterprise Ireland looks forward to continued engagement with ICS Medical to support their business development in overseas markets.' Jenny Melia, incoming chief executive of Enterprise Ireland, said the company was at the forefront of innovation in the medtech sector, developing 'best in class' catheters. 'Supporting Irish companies with the ambition to scale globally is a key priority for Enterprise Ireland and we will continue to work closely with ICS Medical to optimise their full international growth potential, creating and sustaining jobs here in the Galway region,' she said. She said the company was 'playing a vital role' in strengthening Ireland's medtech sector.

Solar power hit record number on Irish grid in May
Solar power hit record number on Irish grid in May

Irish Times

time2 hours ago

  • Irish Times

Solar power hit record number on Irish grid in May

Solar power reached its highest recorded figure on the national electricity grid in May, while almost a third of all electricity came from renewable sources last month, according to provisional data from EirGrid EirGrid is responsible for operating, developing and enhancing Ireland's electricity grid and market. It balances electricity supply to customer demand in real time from the National Control Centre. Some 173,163 MWh (megawatt hours) of electricity was produced from grid-scale solar in May, representing 6.5 per cent of electricity generated for the month. For context, about 2.7 per cent of all electricity came from solar power in May 2023, accounting for 71,731 MWh of electricity. READ MORE There were also a number of new peaks for grid-scale solar activity for a one-minute period, reaching 755MW at one point on May 17th, beating the record of 752MW set two days earlier on May 15th. The previous record of 750MW was recorded on March 24th. This followed a new peak wind power record on the grid set in February. Of the 32.5 per cent of electricity generated from renewables in May, the majority came from wind, which accounted for 22.5 per cent, while 6.5 per cent came from solar, and the remainder of renewable generation came from other sources including hydro and biomass. Looking at the rest of the fuel mix, gas generation accounted for 39 per cent of the electricity produced, with 22.8 per cent being imported via interconnection, 4.6 per cent coming from coal, and the remaining 1.1 per cent from other sources. Overall electricity system demand was 2,671 GWh for May, similar to 2,679 GWh in May last year. Currently, the electricity grid can accommodate up to 75 per cent of electricity from renewable sources at any one time. Diarmaid Gillespie, director of system operations at EirGrid, said we may see further records in the coming months. 'While onshore wind remains the prominent renewable source of electricity in Ireland, solar power has become a notable feature of the Irish power system over the last two years in particular, and we may see further records being reached over the coming summer months,' he said. Electricity imports also continue to contribute significantly to the country's fuel mix for electricity supply. 'Operating a power system with electricity generated from variable renewables such as wind and solar, mixed with conventional generation, is complex and technically very challenging,' said Mr Gillespie. 'To maintain stability on the grid, EirGrid engineers need to be able to adjust to and meet fluctuating energy demand with supply at all times.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store