Irish PM says future of $1b Apple data centre uncertain

A planned $1 billion Apple data centre is in doubt after Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said the US company's Chief Executive Tim Cook would no longer commit to it, adding that Dublin would do whatever necessary to get it built.

Apple announced plans in February 2015 to build the facility in a rural location in the west of Ireland to take advantage of green energy sources nearby, but the project has faced a two-year delay due to planning objections.

In a meeting on Thursday, Cook did not commit to going ahead with it, Varadkar told state broadcaster RTE.