Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

That assessment is in respect of grant aid. Data centres do not get grant aid. It is not relevant. The two issues are separate. We offer grant aid to companies to allow them expand or to come to Ireland in the first place. Last year, we had 240 new IDA projects. Some received grant aid and others did not. We do not offer grant aid to data centres. We can facilitate them but to do so requires grid connection. We now have clarity in terms of policy on data centres. We are one of the few countries in the world that has that clarity. There are six principles that need a response in the context of the development of new data centres. That is the way it should be. Hard questions should be asked.