The Taoiseach has appealed to An Taisce to cease its objections to a planned Glanbia cheese plant in Kilkenny.

Speaking in the Dail today, Micheal Martin appealed that no further appeals be made against the project, after Independent TD for Tipperary Mattie McGrath raised the decision by An Taisce to appeal a High Court decision dismissing its challenge against the decision of An Bord Pleanála to grant planning permission for the development of a €140m cheese processing plant.

"Now they have decided after an overwhelming result against them in the High Court to appeal that decision. This is costing hundreds of jobs. Worse than that, suppliers in the south east supply this plant, a valuable plant...to manufacture cheddar cheese," McGrath said.

He called for a debate on the funding of An Taisce, which he said, is getting €2.5m annually from different Government agencies and claimed they are “causing a wreck in rural Ireland”.

The Taoiseach said his position remains very clear on the issue.

“That project is of immense economic importance to the region, but also to the dairy industry and to the expansion of the dairy industry.

"I would appeal that there would be no further appeals against this project now, given the fact that the courts have ruled very clearly in relation to it and that many, many jobs depend on it.

"There has to be balance in terms of how we all behave in society. We can't all be absolutist in pursuit of our own objectives to the exclusion of the wellbeing of others in society. And I think the balance has been tipped in the wrong scale here now, completely and it will create division."

Tipperary TD Michael Lowry said he was "glad the Taoiseach understands the necessity to intervene through legislation in regard to this matter.

"We have a situation here where we have vexatious, spurious objections, deliberately obstructing and holding up investment by Glanbia, which is impacting on the ability to create jobs and impacting on their ability to expand and having a detrimental consequence for the farmers that are supplying Glanbia. I think this needs to be resolved. I think it's time An Taisce were reined in and we have to do that here through changing our planning laws."

Earlier this week ICMSA president Pat McCormack said the State is fast approaching a ‘make your mind up moment’ on the question of enabling legal challenges to planning decisions that have already progressed tortuously through the planning process.

“The further court appeal against the Glanbia proposal at Belview is hugely concerning and damaging in terms of its uncertainty and delay over a vital project – not just for Glanbia’s suppliers, but for the whole economy of the Glanbia catchment area.

Last Friday, An Taisce confirmed its intention to seek leave to appeal the recent decision of the High Court dismissing its challenge against the decision of An Bord Pleanála to grant planning permission for the development of a €140m cheese processing plant.

The proposal is a joint venture between Glanbia and Dutch company Royal A-Ware at Belview in Co Kilkenny.

In a statement the National Trust for Ireland said: “Having considered the High Court judgment in detail we believe it raises points of law of exceptional importance which should be appealed in the public interest.

"These go to the fundamental legal obligations for environmental assessment in planning matters, in particular in relation to dairy processing.

“We are therefore compelled by our statutory role to seek an appeal based on concerns about the specific project, and the precedent this judgment might set in relation to other similar or comparable projects in the future."