Furniture store group IKEA has announced further details of its plans to open stores in Dublin and Belfast.
Subject to planning permission, the company said up to 500 new jobs would be provided in Ballymun, with half of these for local people.
The Dublin store will cover 30,500 square metres over two floors, and will have 1,500 car spaces. The store will also include a number of other facilities including a 500-seater restaurant, a bistro, a café and a Swedish Food Hall as well as a crèche.
The Belfast store, close to Belfast City Airport, will measure 25,800 square metres and will employ 400 people. IKEA aims to open the Belfast store in late December this year.
IKEA said the location of the Dublin store close to the Ballymun M50 Interchange had been planned in co-operation with Ballymun Regeneration Limited (BRL) - the company established by Dublin City Council to facilitate the regeneration of the area. It said local road access would be improved to facilitate the store opening.
'We are conscious of the debate about traffic flows on the M50 and we have been very careful to ensure that our store is planned and will operate in such a way as to avoid any potential for further congestion. 40% of our customers will arrive at weekends, when the great majority of workplaces are closed,' said IKEA project manager Theresa Daly.
IKEA has a network of 220 stores in 33 countries worldwide, 14 of which are in Britain.
