Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

To answer the Deputy's question, I hope we can do both. I hope we can embrace AI in an ethical way that is regulated, that people can use and that does not harm citizens, and that we can also meet our climate targets. I have listened to the Deputy's contributions over the years on data centres and I appreciate where he is coming from. I have equal concerns about our use of energy, but the energy question is one that has to be answered in an energy Department. That is not to obfuscate the Deputy's question but it has to be answered by that Department.

One example of where we can see a positive use of data centres is the district heating system in Dublin. Data centres will have to come round to ensuring they are part of the solution rather than part of the problem with energy. I take the Deputy's comments and arguments on this particular issue very seriously. As I said, I have listened to his comments for quite some time. I was Finland recently visiting some of the companies there which are now looking at Ireland and how we are so far ahead with the development of data centres. They are trying to replicate in Finland what Ireland has done. There is no getting away from the fact that Ireland is now front and centre in being attractive to many companies that have come here.

We have to try to achieve both. I do not think in today's world we can say we are switching off the internet to AI or we are switching off the possibility of data centres or the growth of them. That would be equally damaging to Ireland.