With Apple’s €850 million ($934m) data center in Athenry, Galway, Ireland already behind schedule after facing opposition at several stages, the US company is eager to finally put the issue to rest.
Last week, two locals launched a High Court bid against the planned facility, citing concerns over power consumption, the environment and jobs. Now, Apple has asked for the High Court to fast track the decision as the year comes to a close.
Will they, won’t they?
Apple has moved to have the dispute entered on to the commercial list of the High Court, The Irish Times reports, which is a specific division designed to deal with legal disputes with more than €1 million at stake that require a rapid decision.
A motion to have the decision fast tracked will be heard on 7 November and, if successful, would mean that an overall decision would be reached in roughly six months. Should it not be successful, the decision could take as much as 18 months.
The data center was originally announced back in February 2015, the same time as a similar €850 million investment in Denmark. That data center, meanwhile, is well into construction.
Apple had believed that construction would start soon on the Galway facility, after the proposal gained approval from An Bord Pleanála (The Planning Board) in August.