Call to mark 30th anniversary of Intel coming to Leixlip

Councillors Anthony Larkin and Joe Neville have tabled a joint motion to Kildare Co Council to organise an event to commemorate three significant anniversaries in north Kildare.

The politicians want to mark 50 years of Leixlip United and of Barnhall Rugby Club and 30 years of Intel in Leixlip.

The Council suggested that councillors can agree on a suitable way to celebrate the milestones.

Councillor Neville previoulsy called for the Council to put a mechanism in place to invite successful sports teams or individuals to an organised council event, to acknowledge their achievements.

Since first established in Leixlip in 1989, there are now around 4,000 people employed at the plant.

The firm has invested almost $14 billion dollars in Ireland over the past 30 years.

The micro chip giant has submitted a planning application for a 110,0000 square metre factory - almost twice the size of Dundrum Town Centre. Intel already has separate planning approval from 2017 for a 90,000 square metre plant at its site.

The investment in a new facility of this size could run into billions of euro over several years and involve up to 5,000 construction jobs and hundreds of contracted and permanent staff.