Google has pulled out of plans to rent a new state-of-the-art office space in Dublin’s docklands.

The tech giant has decided not to move forward with plans to lease the Sorting Office in Grand Canal Dock.

The company had been in talks to rent the space, which has capacity for 2,000 employees, since last October.

A spokesperson for the company said it remains committed to Ireland and will continue to invest in its operations here.

“After much deliberation, Google has decided not to proceed with leasing the Sorting Office,” said the spokesperson.

“We are grateful to Mapletree for all their work with us and wish them well in the successful letting of this excellent office building.

“We are committed to Ireland and continue to invest in our Irish operations.”

Google asked its Irish workforce to work from home in early March as the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic became clear.

Staff have been told they do not have to return to the office until the summer of next year and the crisis continues.

Meanwhile, several other major tech companies have already offered staff the option of working-from-home full-time into the future.

The decision not to move forward with the Sorting Office rental will place renewed focus on the lack of demand for office and hotel infrastructure in Dublin while the housing crisis rolls on.