Outcome of judicial review into Apple's Irish datacentre dispute delayed until 12 October

Apple will now need to wait until 12 October 2017 to discover if its much-delayed bid to build an €850m datacentre in the west Ireland town of Athenry can proceed.  

The outcome of a judicial review into the decision to grant Apple permission to proceed with the project was due to be made public by the Irish Commercial Court on Thursday 27 July.

However, it has now been pushed back by three months, the court service confirmed to Computer Weekly.

Supporters and objectors of the build have been in touch with Computer Weekly with concerns the outcome of the judicial review may be delayed once more, after the case was omitted from the Commercial Court hearing list, published on Monday 24 July.

This is not the first time the outcome of the judicial review has been subject to delay. It was initially due on 23 June, but a “shortage of judges” saw the announcement postponed until 30 June, when the judge called for the decision to be deferred until 27 July.

At the time of writing, two and a half years have passed since Apple initially set out plans to build a datacentre in a commercial forest near Athenry, as well as another site in Viborg, Denmark.

Due to a mix of planning permission challenges, appeals and court deferments, Apple has been unable to proceed at all with the build, while construction on the site in Viborg is known to be nearing completion.

The judicial review was instigated by two objectors to the build, Allan Daly and Sinead Fitzpatrick, who are challenging the Irish planning body, An Bord Plenala, and its decision to give Apple the green-light to proceed with the project.

ABP’s involvement in the planning process followed objections raised against Galway County Council’s decision to give Apple conditional consent to crack on with the project in September 2015.