Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 14 October 2021

Public Accounts Committee

2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications
Chapter 9 - Remediation of Landfill Sites

9:30 am

Mr. Mark Griffin:

I do not think a moratorium is the right term or the right tool to use. We should be looking at what national policy is on data centres. There is a 2018 policy led out of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. We will review that. There will be a commitment in the climate action plan that will be published in the next few weeks to review the policy. One of the measures that has been floated has been consulted on by the regulators over the past while, I expect there will be a decision in the next few years around locational issues in that data centres will be located close to renewable energy where there is less pressure on the grid and where demand can be more easily catered for.