Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I agree. It is a very serious challenge. As I have said, we have to sustainably manage the challenge because something that is not often referred to in this debate is the number of jobs supported by data centres like the one the Deputy mentioned in Clonee. This is a critical thing that we have to understand. Data centres do require significant infrastructure but they provide very high-value jobs in the communities that we all represent. We are looking at a regional balance, with job dispersals right across the country. Renewable energy projects will mirror that. In the future, in some very rural locations we will have very significant employers which data centres will be delivering jobs for. I am not tone deaf when it comes to this argument. I know that we have to manage this sustainably and that the implications are significant. That is why I referenced the energy parks being built by Bord na Móna. They will be a very important initiative. The corporate purchasing of renewable, green energy will be very important in the future. The CRU has to make a decision on gas, as the Deputy referenced. I do not want to do anything that would prejudge that. We are waiting for the independent agency to make a determination on it.