Dr. Patrick Bresnihan:

I will briefly expand on the point in my statement. In speaking about reputational damage, I was referring quite specifically to the recent news about Intel's expansion. There was a discussion about whether it would invest in a bigger expansion of its plant in Leixlip, and whether this came down to a question of energy security. It is not clear whether it is but it is interesting that the matter was raised. If there are brownouts or blackouts this winter, it would not look great if Ireland wanted to attract data centres or other kinds of industries.

The other aspect of reputational damage relates to climate and energy commitments. There is the question of words versus actions. The figures are really stark. Ireland is known as a hub for these data centres. It is also becoming known, both among the public in Ireland and outside the country, that there are contradictions in the data centre expansion, energy security and climate obligations. If we continue down this path in the hope there might be some sort of technological solution - that does not look likely - it will cause more reputational damage. It will not just be about inward investment but generally about Ireland's commitment to such matters.