Google abandons Dublin office plan for up to 2,000 staff

GOOGLE says it is dropping talks to rent office space for up to 2,000 staff in Dublin, after most of the US tech giant's employees were told to work from home until 2021 amid the global pandemic.

A spokeswoman said that "after much deliberation" Google "has decided not to proceed with leasing" the Sorting Office -- a seven-floor development in the "Silicon Docks" of the Irish capital.

Irish media reported the 202,000-square-foot (18,700-square-metre) office would have housed up to 2,000 employees in the Republic -- where the internet search leader maintains its European headquarters and a stable of 8,000 staff.

The Google spokeswoman declined to comment on whether the decision to discontinue the lease talks was related to coronavirus work-from-home measures.

"We are committed to Ireland and continue to invest in our Irish operations," she said.

In July, Google said it would allow most of its 200,000 global employees and contractors to work from home through to July 2021 in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Last month, US media reported that Facebook -- which also holds its European headquarters in Dublin -- will likewise allow employees to work remotely until July next year.

Central Dublin's office districts have yet to return to pre-pandemic levels of activity since a lockdown was imposed in March.

The coronavirus death toll in Ireland stands at 1,777, according to latest government figures.