Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is worrying that there does not seem to be any national oversight of the impact of these centres. It is a question then of whether we write to the Minister or whatever. If it is left as it is, given the volume of proposed data centres, the fact is that there was only one such centre with which An Bord Pleanála had a problem, a decision on which was later overturned on appeal. An Bord Pleanála does not seem to take into account of the impact that these will have down the road. These data centres take up massive areas. In my area, one will take up an entire industrial park for just a handful of jobs. Perhaps we should write to the Minister and ask if a national oversight strategy is being formulated or ask whether the Government has looked at all into the impact of the volume of data centres that will be built.