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GOOGLE IRELAND IS contesting South Dublin County Council’s planning refusal for the online giant’s planned new data centre for Grange Castle Business Park in south Dublin.
This follows An Bord Pleanála confirming that it has today received a first party appeal by Google Ireland Ltd against the Council refusal.
The deadline for the lodging of appeals was 5.30pm today.
A spokeswoman for Google Ireland said today: “We have filed an appeal to the recent decision by South Dublin County Council to reject the expansion of our existing data centre in Ireland.
She said: “We are committed to meeting the growing demand for our services and supporting Ireland’s digital economy. We want to ensure all concerns are addressed and are committed to working with all stakeholders.”
In its refusal last month, the Council last month cited what it called “the existing insufficient capacity in the electricity network (grid) and the lack of significant on site renewable energy to power the data centre” as reasons for refusal.
Google Ireland is planning that the application is to be the third phase of the Google Ireland data centre campus at Grange Castle Business Park and involves the creation of 800 construction jobs and 50 jobs when operational.
The new 72,400m2 data storage facility data centre involves the construction of eight data halls on a 50-acre greenfield/brownfield site.
Planning documents lodged with the application by Google Ireland warned that if the new data centre project does not progress, the company will struggle to meet the increasing demands for its ICT services to its customers here.
The planning documents stated that the data centre will indirectly contribute 224,250 tonnes of CO2 emissions per annum without any mitigation measures.
A 78-page planning report by ARUP lodged with the Co Council stated that the proposed development “will be powered through an existing connection as agreed with Eirgrid”.
The report stated that the duration of the effects on climate “is considered to be short-term, as, in accordance with CAP24, 80 per cent of the electricity grid will be renewable by 2030, thereby significantly reducing carbon emissions”.
However, in its refusal, the Council also cited the lack of clarity provided in relation to the applicant’s engagement with Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) in Ireland and the lack of a connection to the surrounding district heating network as grounds to turn the application down.
The Council also highlighted the proposed design of the development as well as how it relates to its surroundings, and lack of detail of how the proposal will impact power supply once operational in 2027.
The Council ruled that Google Ireland has failed to demonstrate that the proposed use is acceptable on Enterprise and Employment (EE) zoned lands, in accordance with the South Dublin County Development Plan (SDCC) 2022-2028.
The Council also refused planning permission as the scheme did not comply with objective in the South Dublin County Development Plan in relation to the retention and protection of existing green infrastructure (stream and hedgerow), culverting and alteration of the stream on site, provision of green infrastructure, and complying with the SDCC Green Space Factor.
In a submission, An Taisce warned that planning for the data centre ”would further compromise our ability to achieve compliance with our carbon budget limits and would put additional pressure on renewables capacity to deal with the significant additional power demand”.
An Taisce’s Planning Officer, Sean O’Callaghan stated that the proliferation of data infrastructure has largely gone unchecked, and data centres now consume 21% of Ireland’s total metred electricity.
Mr O’Callaghan stated that the planned data centre will put great pressure on an already strained electricity grid in the Dublin region, particularly in light of the large number of existing and proposed data centres already in the area.
Mr O’Callaghan further contended that a projected increase of 0.44% in national emissions from the project “is entirely incompatible with our obligations to reduce emissions”.
Head of Policy at Friends of the Earth, Jerry MacEvilly told the Council that “our concern is that the proposed development would actively undermine the achievement of the state’s carbon budget programme”.
Dr Colin Doyle told the council that claims of commitment by Google and Google Ireland Ltd “to decarbonisation amount to greenwashing”.
He said: “The claims are all based on the purchase of renewable electricity. While these purchases can be reported in corporate Green House Gas (GHG) accounting systems, they do not mitigate or offset in any way the physical additional GHG emissions caused by Google’s activities in Ireland.”
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Amazing how they won’t transfer wages today but they’ll charge and take out the quarterly fees before 8am, fees that wouldn’t apply if they’d actually transferred the wages!!
Pull them up on that one and you’ll get your charges refunded. You’ll have to fight them for it, but you’ll get it. My advice go into a branch and kick up a loud fuss – That’s what I did and it worked for me..
So that is why I got my wages yesterday
Why when a bank is closed does an automatic transaction not take place? Its all on computers. Doesnt need someone in the bank to happen
An extra day for them to make interest on your money
Nope it’s not automated. Systems have to work so they often stay the same for decades. We are not far from physical bags of cheques being passed around banks.
Good explanation
http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2013/10/04/229224964/episode-489-the-invisible-plumbing-of-our-economy
The bank won’t be able to charge you for exceeding your overdraft!
So looking at the screenshot of BOI’s website, there are no payments today because most of Europe has the May Bank Holiday on the 1st of the month, but then there are no payments on Monday either because Ireland celebrates May Day on the first Monday. So you’re hit on the double. Surely payments within one country do not need to be affected by bank holidays in another. I’d understand international payments being affected alright.
At least Irelnd has the right idea to have the holiday on the Monday.
I’m in Sweden, so I’m off today. But most people will get tomorrow off too, so a four-day weekend. They call Monday/Friday a “squeeze day” whenever Tuesday or Thursday is a bank holiday. Sadly, I won’t be off, so no bank holiday beers for me today as even just looking at a bottle makes me die the next day. :-( Being a hungover teacher when the kids are back for just one day and are in no mood to work as a result would not exactly be my idea of a Fun Friday. :-)
I got an e-mail from Bank Of Ireland advising me to arrange some payments on April 29th to allow the working day of April 30th to process same because of this European bank holiday. And when did I get this e-mail ?? On April 30th 12 p.m. Banking reform me arse !!
Given all of the planning that went into SEPA’s recent introduction, banks REALLY ought to have taken their finger out long before today. Who exactly is profiting from all of this limbo-money today? The stock markets remain open…
there communication was rubbish, being the first year of this there should have been TV adverts and press adverts. sure even da Journal didnt have one that I remember
Times like this I’m glad there’s only one bank in my town.
Payroll/Finance where I work heard nothing from their bank about this, and only became aware of it when employees checked their online accounts this morning. Employees banking with AIB, Ulster Bank and PTSB all got paid, those banking with Bank of Ireland and EBS didn’t. However, contrary to what’s reported above in many cases direct debits *have* been made – or been called down at least – causing failed payment charges if there wasn’t enough money in the account because the deposit side of things was on holiday.
Complete f***ing cock-up and carelessness.
Got an email yesterday evening from payroll saying we would get paid friday instead of today. I got paid today. Wonder if I’ll get paid tomorrow too?!
If we got the 1st of May off instead of the first Monday in May off this wouldn’t be a problem. Simple change to bring us in line with Europe.
wrong! it would mean we would lose the day off 2 years in 7 , them call them “employer’s holidays” over there “in Europe”
Then why does that not happen on Christmas Day or St Patricks Day or New Years Day or St Stephen’s Day. I know it’s hard to think before you post – but please try
Paul, firstly, really mature. Secondly, he is right. Holidays that fall on the same dat, mean you don’t always get a day off. If the 1st of May is a Saturday or Sunday, you don’t get the Friday or Monday off. In Ireland we have.it as the first Monday, thus ensuring its a weekday and as a result, a day off (or extra pay, time in leue)
No Ailbhe – think about it – 25th December, 1st of January, 17th March. If these fall on a weekend then we get the Monday off – I don’t see the difference if this was changed to the 1st of May. Think about it. You would agree with me if you were right
You suggest changing to be in line with Europe Paul. In Germany, if the 1st of may is a Saturday, you do not get the following Monday off. Your idea would mean less days off per annum. Now, since you like to be patronising rather than civil, I’ll speak in a similar fashion when addressing you if you’d like. Is it that you don’t understand or you’re just looking for an argument as a sad little keyboard warrior?
Int it grat that were in the EU?
i get a small pension from the uk paidto my bank here in ireland, over the Easter holidays instead of the payment going in on the Monday it didn’t go in till the Thursday, banks explenation? ” well there were 2 bank holidays, good Friday and Easter Monday, meaning that those 2 ‘ working days’ were not actual ‘working days’ but public holidays, that meant that the Tuesday and Wednesday replaced the Friday and Monday as ‘working days’” so i asked them why the same thing did not apply to direct debts, that could not be paid because of ‘lack of funds ‘ on the Tuesday, i was charged for on the Wednesday “aah! that’s different” was the reply! talk about make up your own rules! i also asked that seeing as these payments are paid electronically these days and use the much heralded IBAN system, how come it still takes 7 ‘working days ‘to clear a payment, yet i can send or receive money from abroad using IBAN the same day ? no answer to that one.
And they are so shocked when you show annoyance with them.
F$#€# ¥€>|%}* “@£)& is what this is! 21. century they say. Screw u. U charge ppl when we are late with payments, but banks take holidays and ppl can go f%## themselfs! Disgrace
I blame the French. Strict laws prohibiting working on Labour Day.
i blame the french as well , but just because i dont like them!
Ah sure it’ll stop them drinking it !
Direct debit came from my BOI account this morning?
Would they f* off with their bank holidays in the middle of the week. What are we supposed to be celebrating with this “EU bank holiday” anyway? The EU’s financial conduct? farce
The same thing we’ll be “celebrating” on Monday. But feel free to go into work if you think it’s such a giant farce…
You mean May Day? Why do we need two bank holidays for the same occasion?
I absolutely will be going to work on Monday, just like I did today. Won’t you?
Because some countries have the holiday on the 1st of May and others have it on the first Monday. And no, I won’t be going into work on Monday, I’ll be enjoying the day off regardless of the “farcical” reason for it.
Nothing today (Friday) either. what a shower of bankers. Id willingly swap my Bank holiday for a slap a banker day.
It’s into lunch hour now and still no wages in TSB Bank a/c. Just see on RTE, IPSO says this is something people can just get used to in the future….great response, must be a banking group.
They’re saying you won’t miss Direct Debits because of this. But what if you are the same bank as the company you are paying the DD to. The article says its interbank transfers that are affected, not same bank ones.
Y’know if we were all doing well, this would be no big deal. What’s a day or two if you’ve a wallet full of 20s?
But austerity…ah…the invisible pickpocket…makes us all a bit on edge about pay dates, doesn’t it?
Vote your wallet.
There’s no notification on TSB open24 webpage. My employer said they had no notification either and the first they knew was reading the papers this morning.
No wages in my account so far this morning!
Beware, next May 1st. will fall on a Friday, employers, make your contingency plans in advance!!
I can only imagine that are going ape sh1t in the UK about this.
And it’s not acceptable. Does it mean we’ll get his with twice as many “bank holidays”? If this was done right then payments between banks that are open should not be affected.
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