Councillor wants to bring major TikTok facility to Offaly

An Offaly County Councillor wants to bring a major new TikTok facility to Offaly.

Fine Gael Councillor, Noel Cribbin, is seeking a meeting with IDA Ireland to open discussions on the location of the global social media giant's new €500m Data Centre.

Cllr Cribbin says he has been in contact with both Minister for Land Use and Biodiversity, Pippa Hackett, and representatives from Bord na Mona (BnM), in a bid to open the talks.

Referencing the potential in the Midlands to house data centres for a range of multinational companies, Cllr Cribbin said, TikTok is seeking a location for a €500 million data centre in Ireland. 

He commented, "now is the time to showcase the many advantages of choosing the Midlands for this enterprise. We have a massive landbank in the possession of BnM, the area is already on its way to becoming Ireland’s first Green Energy Hub and North Offaly is fast becoming the wind farm capital of Ireland."

"These advantages, combined with proximity to Dublin, its ports and airports, and from there access to the entire European market, make the Midlands an ideal location for multinational companies eager to establish bases in Ireland – now the only English-speaking nation in the EU."

Cllr. Cribbin added, "with the terrible impact of job losses in BnM on the area in the last months, we have a great opportunity to showcase the fabulous opportunities that exist here. It is now time to get some payback for the residents of North Offaly, who have witnessed job losses, the setting up of wind farms and now the devastation of the coronavirus. It is time to see an injection of jobs and prosperity into the area."

"I have contacted Minister Hackett and BnM representatives to seek a meeting with IDA to open discussions on the TikTok data centre investment. It is time that global companies became aware of all that North Offaly has to offer and I intend to do everything in my power to ensure that happens," Cllr. Cribbin concluded.