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Glanbia and Royal A-ware can build in Ireland
Cooperative Glanbia and Royal A-ware are allowed to build their planned cheese factory in Kilkenny. This has been decided by the Irish Supreme Court. The five-member board unanimously rejected the National Trust's appeal against the building permit.
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The original permission to build was granted in 2020, but heritage and nature organization An Taisce (National Trust) went to court. An Taisce expressed the fear that the arrival of the cheese factory would lead to a lot of extra milk production and thus environmental pollution. After all, up to 4.500 dairy farms could supply the factory, or so the reasoning was.
No direct connection with new factory and more milk production
The Supreme Court ruled that such a direct link as An Taisce suggests cannot be made. Glanbia sees herself in the right with this. He previously argued that Irish milk production will increase, but according to the cooperative, that would happen anyway, regardless of whether or not a cheese factory would be built in Kilkenny.
The cheese factory is to process 450 million kilos of milk according to plan. Construction costs were estimated at €140 million. The plan is to produce 'European' cheeses in the factory. Glanbia and A-ware as well as the Irish dairy industry reacted enthusiastically to the ruling.
An Taisce respects the ruling, but says it will study the details further in the coming days.