A company building a £2.5 million fish-processing plant in Co Donegal would suffer irreparable loss if it did not proceed, the High Court was told yesterday.
Mr Justice Quirke is being asked to quash a July 1998 decision of Donegal County Council to extend permission for the project at Rinmore Point, Fanad, for a year.
The challenge has been brought by Mr Tony Lowes, a member of An Taisce's governing body, against Donegal County Council. Bradan (Maoil Rua) Teoranta, the company building the plant, is a notice party to the proceedings.
In an affidavit, Mr Jan Feenstra, the managing director of Hydro Seafood Ltd, the holding company for Bradan (Maoil Rua) Teoranta, said the development had begun within the time for planning permission, and notice of the extension had been served within that time.
Mr Feenstra said Udaras na Gaeltachta in 1996 backed the project in the interests of providing much-needed employment in north Donegal and had entered into an agreement to provide funding.
In May 1997 an agreement was reached to reduce the overall size of the building, and this was notified to the council.
The hearing continues today.