Glanbia’s and A-ware’s plans to build a cheese factory in Ireland, however, met with a headwind. In April, the Irish Supreme Court gave the go-ahead, but environmental group An Taisce appeals. The Supreme Court in Ireland will now consider the case.
An Taisce’s appeal was upheld by the Supreme Court. The Irish Supreme Court is thus re-examining the objections of the environmental group. This is a setback for Glanbia and A-ware, who would like to kick in the ground as soon as possible to realize the planned investment of around €140 million.
The plans were already unveiled in January 2019 and initially the Belview plant, with a capacity of 50,000 tonnes of cheese per year, was planned to be operational by 2022. That’s probably 2024 by now. This is particularly acidic for Glanbia, because the company needs extra processing capacity to absorb the increased milk supply.
The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) has reacted angrily and accuses An Taisce of harassment by trying to thwart the plans. President Tim Cullinan expects that the current appeal will again lead to a six-month delay.