Electronics giant Sie­m­ens has given strong indications it plans to expand operations at its manufacturing plant in north county Dublin.

In a submission related to the new Fingal county council development plan, the company urges the county council not to allow the creation of a local area plan to "unduly delay" future investment in the expansion of operations at its site at Swords.

The county development plan calls for a Seatown development plan but Siemens is concerned that the timescale involved in such a plan would affect its ability to develop lands adjacent to the factory. The site is directly beside the Seatown stop on the proposed Metro North.

Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Manufacturing is the sole worldwide manufacturer of large hospital and laboratory-based immunology and haematology diagnostic instrumentation. The company employs over 300 people at Swords.

The lands around the Swords site are underutilised, according to Siemens, and the opportunity is there for increased densities of development. The company is urging the council to zone the land to allow it to intensify activity there.

A spokesman for the Swords-based arm of Siemens was unavailable for comment.