Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is incredibly strange that the Minister would provide us with such a note on data centres without any reference to concerns regarding potential rolling blackouts across the State this winter. It was only last week when he said he was increasingly confident that this would not occur. Being increasingly confident that we have electricity is not a standard of public service that the public expects from Government or from a Government Minister. Given that this matter has come into focus since the committee last met, I suggest, with the Chairman's permission, that we write the Minister to seek information on any potential rolling blackouts or his Department's views the cause of such blackouts. This should be done in light of the fact that a significant amount from the public purse has been spent in recent years on upgrading green energy and indeed on the grid itself, and also given what we know about the drain on electricity and water supplies that these data centres represent. We know that these centres are popping up and there are probably more planning applications in for data centres in this State than across Europe. The drain on our electricity and water supplies must be weighed against an average of 50 jobs per centre. Given the relationship with our water supply, it is nowhere near fit for purpose or up to standard as it is. Yet, there seems to be no taking into account of the drain that these data centres represent. It does not inspire much confidence for the Minister to gloss over it and say that he is increasingly confident that there will not be blackouts.

I suggest that we write to the Minister again to seek information on any potential rolling blackouts, the Department's views on the cause of such blackouts and to ask him to the outline the steps he is going to take to ensure we do not face a winter of blackouts. I suggest we seek assurance from the Minister that he is increasingly confident that there will not be a winter of rolling blackouts.