Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The advantage of this approach where each sector has to play its part is that no one gets an out. On entering government in the summer of 2020, it became apparent that we had a very large volume of data centres which were looking for connection and had been approved. We identified that we would have difficulty if we keep saying "Yes". First, we would not have the power to be able to service them or give the grid connections. Second, it would make it impossible for us to meet our emissions reductions targets. Along with EirGrid and the ESB, and with the involvement of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, we very quickly said we had to stop issuing new contracts or new connections.

The Government does not breach existing commitments. Where we had told a company it was in a process towards being able to develop, we do not reverse engines on that. That is not how the State works, and to my mind that is correct. However, I subsequently wrote to Gas Networks Ireland making the very strong case and giving clear direction that we cannot continue to offer new gas grid connections because we need to switch to a new way of managing, operating and delivering our data centres. I think we can do so in a way that they play their part in meeting our emissions reductions targets, but also providing many benefits for our economy. We have significant employment. Many of the companies involved in running data centres are based in my constituency with tens of thousands of people employed.