Intel’s Leixlip facility is arguably the hallmark of Ireland’s foreign direct investment strategy. It arrived here in 1989 and has invested many billions over the years, employed thousands and paid a lower tax rate than it would elsewhere in Europe. In the process, it served as a blueprint for luring more big tech firms to Irish shores and with it a bounty of corporation tax. But there’s no shying away from the fact that 2024 has been a glum year for Intel. Most recently, its embattled CEO Pat Gelsinger stepped down, its share price fell considerably and pundits questioned its…