It is two years, six months and 24 days since Apple announced its intention to invest €850 million in a data centre in Athenry, where the news was greeted like pints after mass. What has happened in the period since? Lots and lots of things, in fact.

In Denmark, Apple has built a similar data centre at Viborg that was announced on the same day as the Athenry project, and will be commissioned by the end of this year. It has also announced it will spend another $920 million on a second Danish centre at Aabenraa.

And in Athenry? Nothing, because it hasn’t yet got planning.

Since Apple made its Athenry announcement, Ireland has had one general election, two taoisigh, one marriage referendum and a cultural and social near-revolution. The UKAugust 2016.

Three objectors (including the owner of a rival site in Wicklow) then sought a judicial review in the High Court in October, and in November Apple had the matter expedited to the fast-track Commercial Court, which should take a maximum of six months. Final submissions were made in March.

It was adjourned in June, adjourned again in July, and it now appears a final decision on whether the decision to grant planning was taken in accordance with the law will be delivered on October 12th. If the court finds the decision was defective, Apple and Athenry are back to square one.

That is not a properly functioning, modern planning system. That is a systemic shambles, the fault of nobody in particular but all of us at once.

In Viborg, a