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

There is a reason we put in place a clear statement on data centres last year. Concern was raised to which we needed to respond. We now have the principles for sustainable data centre development under six different headings, which are: economic impact; grid capacity and efficiency; renewables additionality; colocation or proximity with future-proof energy supply; decarbonised data centres by design; and SME access and community benefits. We are one of the few countries in the world that has thought out a policy on facilitating data centres because they are essential pieces of infrastructure for any modern economy. It is as simple as that.