cnocbui wrote: » The Athenry data centre, if expanded to the full projected size, would have increased Ireland's electricity consumption by 8%. Given Ireland is possibly already on the hook for probable multi million EU fines for not meeting CO2 targets, the whole idea was daft. You can be sure Apple wasn't going to be the ones paying the fines or a share of them.
grbear wrote: » The second site in Denmark was cancelled. The first is being expanded.
threeball wrote: » People haven't the first clue whats coming down the road for them in terms of additional taxes when all this kicks in yet they're kicking and screaming about a big useless warehouse that would bring nothing in terms of economic development to the area. If Apple want to put a manufacturing or an R&D plant in Athenry then work away. This thing was a lucky escape.
Johnny Poor Lemonade wrote: » Scaremongering nonsense. Ireland is massively pushing to get these types of multinational ICT facilities into the county, it’s literally a key part of the counties plans over the next 20 years. There are always people against progress and we obviously have a few hanging around this thread. The vast vast majority of people in the county and country in general were welcoming this with open arms as they actually understand the huge benefit both directly and indirectly.
ezstreet5 wrote: » Exactly. The Athenry data centre would have been a top-class chocolate factory of pure imagination. Athenry won the golden ticket, and all of our kids would have been the oompa loompas working for Apple, or if not, they could at least clean Apple's loos. Now, my wee Róisín (aged 8) and Jack (aged 5) have already emigrated to New Zealand, and we haven't a hope of any future, and I am so depressed because I believed everything my politicians and government said.
Johnny Poor Lemonade wrote: » threeball wrote: » People haven't the first clue whats coming down the road for them in terms of additional taxes when all this kicks in yet they're kicking and screaming about a big useless warehouse that would bring nothing in terms of economic development to the area. If Apple want to put a manufacturing or an R&D plant in Athenry then work away. This thing was a lucky escape. Scaremongering nonsense. Ireland is massively pushing to get these types of multinational ICT facilities into the county, it’s literally a key part of the counties plans over the next 20 years. There are always people against progress and we obviously have a few hanging around this thread. The vast vast majority of people in the county and country in general were welcoming this with open arms as they actually understand the huge benefit both directly and indirectly.
TheIrishGrover wrote: » ??????? If this is the level of debate one can expect then Apple (and others) dodged a bullet. Apple Apple apple apple. Wow. Now I know why Supermacs came from Galway - everyone there has a massive chip in their shoulder. ...... Useless warehouse..... You do know that cloud storage isn't really in the sky, right?
ezstreet5 wrote: » Cllr Tom McNamara of Clare said of their planned data cenre: "It will be the same as having a gold mine. The spin-off from this for Ennis and Clare will be unbelievable". Where is my gold mine?
Deleted User wrote: » One argument I read here was there's no talent in Athenry so the jobs will go to outsiders. I spent all today in a DC. Im from Athenry, my boss lives in Loughrea. Instead of paying extortionate rent in Dublin I'd love to live down home. Thanks for sabotaging that possibility feckless twats of Lysheenkyle.
the whole year inn wrote: » Do some people not even read what the protesters where protesting about. They had valid protests that I thought would needed to be addressed. They were not protesting for the sake of it. I think if Apple addressed these I would have had no problem with the data center being built but they were playing us for mugs then god riddance to them .
faceman wrote: » the whole year inn wrote: » Do some people not even read what the protesters where protesting about. They had valid protests that I thought would needed to be addressed. They were not protesting for the sake of it. I think if Apple addressed these I would have had no problem with the data center being built but they were playing us for mugs then god riddance to them . Nonsense. The main reason for the objections were environmental. Which were rejected by the courts. 8 people objected, including objectors from a different county. All objections were rejected by the courts, albeit at a painfully slow rate. To put it in perspective, 8 people objected, 2,000 local people protested in support of the facility. Over 350 jobs would have been created.
threeball wrote: » Data centres claim to be renewable but none are. They just buy up wind farms that have received planning which reduces the amount of renewable energy that was going to go on to the grid to reduce our carbon emissions. We then end up footing the bill.
Wompa1 wrote: » One would think they should reward the Irish Government's loyalty by putting the money in an escrow account during this whole thing. I'd bet if they eventually lose, they will get that 13 billion back over time through grants with the deal being they create more job and kick in the interest. All speculative based on Apple being a horrible company
threeball wrote: » 350 jobs my arse. 330 temporary jobs for the construction phase in an already understaffed construction sector. If you want a job in construction you could pick up 3 in the morning. There's no staff to be had. Most of that 320 would have been brought in from elsewhere with previous experience in delivering data centres. It's not like Paddy Joe Construction from 3 miles outside athenry was going to get the contract. Data centres claim to be renewable but none are. They just buy up wind farms that have received planning which reduces the amount of renewable energy that was going to go on to the grid to reduce our carbon emissions. We then end up footing the bill.
faceman wrote: » Whats your source for your claims about the jobs?
CrankyHaus wrote: » It's absolute waffle. I remembering visiting the Facebook Clonee datacentre site for work and it was Irish companies, all the employees I happened to meet were Irish too, mainly blocklayers from outside Dublin. (though obviously that was coincidence, construction employs plenty of non-Irish who come here, as it should if they're the best person for the job and are here legally)
threeball wrote: » So they should have built a DC so you could have a job close to home. I've heard it all now. We should probably build an airport in athenry, I know a couple of pilots from up that side too.
Johnny Poor Lemonade wrote: » Horrible company? :rolleyes: nonsense. I am absolutely hope beyond hope the gov and Apple win this case. It’s insane this is even happening in the first place. If they lose I would fully hope and expect the money to get back to them in the ways you describe and rightly so. Apple are a fantastic company and are massively important to Ireland. Some other pain one the hole Eu countries who are jealous of us are the ones forcing this.
faceman wrote: » Nonsense. The main reason for the objections were environmental. Which were rejected by the courts. 8 people objected, including objectors from a different county. All objections were rejected by the courts, albeit at a painfully slow rate. To put it in perspective, 8 people objected, 2,000 local people protested in support of the facility. Over 350 jobs would have been created.
Wompa1 wrote: » Being great for Ireland is also an opinion but the fact is they have been paying an effective tax rate of 2%. They have multiple shell companies hiring one or two people with no physical offices. They claim to employ 6k people directly, if you do a bit of research the average salary of those employees falls between 26k-30k. It's very possible that Apple's Irish employees combined are contributing more in taxes per year than they are.
the whole year inn wrote: » Fair enough they where denied in the courts but they were still valid objections . There was only 2 objectors in the end , that actually went the distance , the rest were thrown out which rightly so as some of them where ridiculous.
grbear wrote: » There's a problem with a system which lets people draw out the appeals process by leaving it as late as possible to lodge the appeal. People should absolutely have the right to appeal but it's hard to look at the timeline of the planning process for the Athenry site and come to any conclusion other than dragging things out was a deliberate tactic. Possibly the window people are given to lodge an appeal should be shortened. I think that's a perfectly fair statement regardless of which side of the debate over the data centre you fall on.
Robbo wrote: » You may want to revisit some of your points. Apple's tax status in Ireland has been regularised in recent years and their tax bills to the Revenue have been quite steep, giving an effective rate of taxation of 14%. All of the Apple group companies have registered offices at Holyhill in Cork so to assert that they've "no physical offices" is deeply incorrect. Quite rightly, whatever sweetheart deal the State cut them in the 80s or offshore chicanery used that currently has the State in the CJEU is a different, historic disgrace.
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