British DIY chain B&Q has confirmed that it has will open two more stores in Ireland in early 2005.
The company's third Dublin outlet will anchor Phase 2 of the Daly Group's Airside Retail Park at Swords. B&Q's first store in Cork will be at O'Callaghan Properties' Mahon Point development.
The company says the opening of the two new stores will generate up to 300 new jobs and will bring the total number employed by B&Q in Ireland to 700 people. Its two existing stores are in Liffey Valley and Tallaght.
Both schemes have planning permission for stores of around 50,000 square feet plus garden centre.
B&Q's director of operations in Ireland Diarmuid Walsh said, however, that it was disappointed that the current retail planning guidelines limited the size of the stores. He said he hoped the Government's review of the guidelines would result in 'some relaxation of policy'.
