The Government’s plan for “sustainable data centre development” has been compared to claims for cigarettes 30 years ago and the “notion of sustainable smoking – that if you smoke a packet of Marlboro Lights, it’s not as bad”.
The comparison was made in the Dáil by Labour TD Conor Sheehan who described parts of the Government’s amendment to his party’s Dáil motion on data centres as “quite laughable”.
Minister of State for Justice Catherine Ardagh defended data centres “as central to Ireland’s modern economy and play a critical, enabling role across a wide range of digital-intensive sectors”.
“Their value is evident and Government remains committed to supporting sustainable data development as a result.”
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But Labour climate spokesman Ciaran Ahern called for the introduction of a levy on data centres, which are “pushing up prices for everyone else”.
The party’s motion also calls for a moratorium on building data centres. Their massive energy demand “means that gas is setting the wholesale price rather than renewables, making everyone’s electricity more expensive. This is only going to get worse if we continue to build more and more of them.”
He said it is “insane” they could ultimately consume 55 per cent of all electricity demand, currently at 22 per cent and projected to reach 30 per cent in 2030.
The Dublin South-West TD criticised the failure to produce the 2026 climate action plan, now not expected until October.
Ahern said of the 19,500 jobs directly created by data centres, the vast majority are temporary and in construction. “The actual figure is about 3,000 jobs.”
[ Ireland is caught in a data centre trap and there’s no easy way outOpens in new window ]
Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman said former leader Eamon Ryan stopped new data centre connections after 2022.
However, the current Government “is actively trying to source more AI data centres”. He said earlier this month a 608-hectare data centre was granted planning permission by Westmeath County Council. The centre is expected “to primarily rely on gas-powered solid fuel cells and solar power”.
It is expected to emit 493,000 tonnes of CO2 a year, “actively undermining our climate goals, as well as the energy concerns”.
Minister for Climate, Energy and Environment Darragh O’Brien said the State does not make cars or military equipment, but does have a “very substantial ICT sector” of around 185,000 people. Data centres were “supporting those other jobs at the leading edges of technology”, he added.
He acknowledged 22 per cent of energy demand is used by data centres, but asked by comparison “how much energy in Germany is used for a large industrial development” such as car-making and other industrial sectors.
Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger said for the second month in a row Ireland has the highest electricity prices in the EU, 52 per cent higher than the EU average. She added ordinary consumers are paying twice as much per unit of electricity as data centres.
[ Data centre electricity demand could exceed entire power usage of RepublicOpens in new window ]
