Two people living near the multinational’s factory in Leixlip have appealed a recent decision of Kildare Co Council to grant planning permission for a new state-of- the-art facility on the site.
Local Labour TD Emmet Stagg expressed disappointment that objections to Intel’s plans had been lodged with An Bord Pleanála.
It is estimated the project would create 3,000 jobs during the construction phase as well as 850 full-time jobs at Intel’s base at Collinstown Industrial Park in Leixlip. Intel sought planning permission for the development in November in what was effectively a revamp of planning permission it first secured in 2013. The latest proposed facility is about 50% smaller than the original plan but is still a massive 88,740 sq metres.
The multinational, which employs 4,500 full-time staff, says the move is part of a strategic initiative to ensure its Leixlip campus is in a position to compete for a new generation of investment.
Mr Stagg said Intel’s Irish operations were in competition with some of the company’s other facilities in Israel and the US. Intel bosses have still to decide the location of the new manufacturing plant estimated to be worth €3.6bn. The company, which has been based in Leixlip since 1990, has invested around €12bn in its Irish plant to date.