Microsoft has been granted permission to build a massive headquarters in Leopardstown for some 2,000 staff.

According to the Irish Times, the proposed office development at South County Business Park is subject to 35 conditions set out by Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council.

The deal includes an €8m fee to the council for parks, roads, and public transport.

The company employs 127,104 people globally, but announced plans to "eliminate" up to 18,000 jobs worldwide last month as part of efforts to simplify the company's operations and cut costs.

The US$7.2bn (€5.32bn) purchase of Nokia's mobile division - which is being integrated into Microsoft - was completed in April, and added 28,000 positions to Microsoft's payroll.

It estimated costs of up to US$1.6bn (€1.18bn) initially before any savings would be felt.

The shake-up was seen as central to the company's shift from being software-focused to one that sells online services, apps and devices it hopes will make people and businesses more productive - challenging the dominance of firms like Samsung, Apple and Google.

Microsoft employs over 1,900 staff at its Irish operations in Dublin.

Originally published 08:40