Glanbia has reacted to the An Taisce decision to seek leave to appeal the recent High Court ruling which gave the green light for a cheese manufacturing facility in Co. Kilkenny.
The processor warned that an appeal could delay the project “even further” than 2024, which itself was a delayed date on the intended completion of the plant.
In a statement last night (Sunday, May 9), Glanbia said it was “deeply disappointed” with the environmental group’s decision.
On April 20, following a judicial review taken by An Taisce, the High Court upheld the the decision by both Kilkenny County Council and An Bord Pleanála to allow the plant to proceed.
Glanbia Ireland chairperson John Murphy said: “We passionately believe in this project, which is critical to our market diversification post Brexit and will support Ireland’s post-Covid recovery.
“The combined impact of An Taisce’s objections to this project has been a two-year delay to 2024, but an appeal could delay the project even further. This would be bad for farmers; bad for rural communities; and would hurt Ireland’s reputation internationally as a location for much-needed foreign direct investment,” Murphy warned.
He added: “As an organisation we are fully committed to sustainability best practice and are actively engaged in the consultation process on government policies to secure a sustainable future for the agricultural sector.”
Murphy concluded: “As has always been the case, we remain available to meet with An Taisce to address its concerns through constructive dialogue.”
An Taisce announced last Friday (May 7) that they would be seeking leave to appeal the High Court verdict.
The group argued that the High Court’s decision “raised points of law of exceptional importance that should be appealed in the public interest”.
“These go to the fundamental legal obligations for environmental assessment in planning matters, in particular in relation to dairy processing,” according to An Taisce.