The reaction of the Ikea group to the news that the Government had relaxed the rule governing the size of retail units was low-key yesterday.
The change will allow the Swedish company to build a store at a proposed site off the M50 in Ballymun, north Dublin. The firm has not specified what size the store would be, but says typically it covers 28,000 sq metres of retail space.
A spokesman for Ikea in Britain said the company will be looking at the Government's decision but would not comment until it had studied it in detail.
Ikea stores have been established in 29 countries worldwide and have become popular for cheap, flat-pack furniture and household goods.
The furniture company has been in discussions with officials from Ballymun Regeneration Co Ltd, which owns the site beside the M50 junction.
It is believed the arrival of an Ikea store would create 500 jobs, with the company investing €100 million in its Irish venture. The typical size of its stores is about 28,000 sq metres (301,389 sq ft) of retail space.
Prior to yesterday's Cabinet decision, the privately-owned group had threatened to take the jobs and investment north of the Border.
