Swedish furniture company Ikea has received planning permission from Fingal County Council for its first retail store in Ireland.
The 30,000 square metre (323,000 square feet) outlet in Ballymun, Dublin, will employ 500 people at the store itself as well as 100 additional staff in outsourced services.
The store - which will be the largest retail outlet in the State - is planned for the 12.7 hectare site on lands forming part of the Ballymun Regeneration Zone.
Fingal County Council has attached 32 conditions to its consent including a stipulation that the planned upgrade of the Ballymun junction of the M50 must be completed prior to the opening of the store in order to ease potential traffic congestion.
The conditions also require a number of local roads surrounding the site to be improved and the provision of several cycling and pedestrian routes.
They also stipulate that a shuttle bus service between the development site and Ballymun Town Centre linking with scheduled (and planned) public transport services be provided.
Fingal County Council has also restricted Ikea from opening the store prior to 10am on weekdays again to avoid a build-up of traffic in the area during rush hour.
In a statement today, Ikea said it believes that the planning conditions can be met and that they will ensure that traffic flows will be satisfactorily managed.
Project manager for the store Theresa Daly said: "Although the planning process may not necessarily be complete, Ikea see this consent by Fingal County Council as a very important step indeed on our road to offering Irish consumers the benefits of Ikea which are already enjoyed in almost every other country in Europe."
Ms Daly said: "Since we announced our intention to seek planning permission for Ballymun, we have been extremely encouraged by the response from Irish consumers and there is very high awareness of and support for our plans to enter the Irish market."
She said: "Our sustainable energy plans for Dublin are in line with the high standards of the global Ikea operation. Ikea in Ireland will be an example to other stores in the group, and also to other Irish retailers and businesses, in showing how much can be done to ensure sustainability."
Ikea says the construction of the store will take nine months, but this phase will only begin once any appeals process to An Bord Pleanála is completed.
Ikea said it would generate at least 44 per cent of its total energy needs from renewable sources like geothermal power, sourced from under the ground.
