Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In continuing the sporting theme, we should also acknowledge the phenomenal success of the Cork camogie team on its victory a few weeks ago.

All Members look forward to seeing the Dublin ladies Gaelic football team achieve a footballing double for the blue city this weekend.

Ireland is often referred to as the data capital of Europe. There are currently 27 data centres in the country and the Government is very keen for the Apple data centre in Athenry to go ahead. It involves a capital investment of €850 million which will provide 300 construction jobs and 150 on-site permanent jobs. It will be one of the biggest capital investments in the west of Ireland, matched only by the Gort to Tuam motorway. Planning permission was originally granted by Galway County Council in September 2015 and affirmed by An Bord Pleanála in August 2016. However, as Deputy Grealish mentioned, the planning permission is currently subject to judicial review in the Commercial Court. The Government looks forward to a speedy decision in that case.

I met the vice president of Apple approximately two weeks ago. We discussed Athenry. She reaffirmed Apple's commitment to going ahead with the project. Notwithstanding that another data centre is going ahead in Denmark, provided planning permission is granted Apple remains committed to the Athenry project, which I very much welcome. However, the Apple representatives made it very clear to me that they are frustrated at the planning and judicial delays and while that will not affect this project it will colour decisions that they might make about future investments and, therefore, I share the Deputy's concerns in that regard.

The Government is considering a change to the Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Act to include data centres as strategic infrastructure, thus allowing them to get through the planning process much more quickly. In July, my Department established a high-level working group comprising the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation, the IDA, the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, EirGrid and the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Energy. It will develop a strategic policy approach to the development of data centres in Ireland, including the possible designation of areas for suitable development as data centres and also the identification and resolution of planning issues and infrastructure requirements including the energy requirements of data centres.

The Government is very keen for this project to go ahead. I am reassured by Apple of its commitment to the project but the Government acknowledges that planning issues and delays in the courts undermine the case for future investment and it intends to act on that.

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