Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am glad to speak for the Labour Party in support of this motion and commend Deputy Whitmore and her colleagues on bringing it forward. I am glad to have the opportunity to debate the important and pressing issue of data centres in a measured, thoughtful and rational way. The wording of the motion is careful. It simply calls for a pause on the development of data centres and sets out very clearly and persuasively the reasons for doing so.

When I took up the brief for the Labour Party on climate very recently and started looking into the question of data centres, what surprised me most was the absence of an updated national plan or Government strategy. To me this is particularly surprising given the projections of massively increased demand arising from data centres which others have spoken about. We have seen from EirGrid's analysis that demand from data centres could account for 27% of all demand in Ireland by 2029. Others have spoken about that. It is a staggering figure. Given that data centres' demand is predictable, and that we can project demand and demand is steady, it seems even more surprising that the most up-to-date Government statement on the role of data centres is from June 2018. We need a clarity of approach from government at a national level as to how the demand for energy from data centres will be managed.

Having listened carefully to what the proposers of the motion have said, I note they have not said they are not opposed to data centres. That is a sensible point. That ship has sailed. We are all utterly reliant on data centres and global connectivity. We all accept how crucial the tech sector is for Ireland. In Dublin Bay South, my constituency and that of the Minister, we are all very conscious of the enormous contribution the tech sector has made. Taking a measured and rational approach, I would agree with the Minister that we need a plan-led regionally balanced approach. Policy and regulation are required to enable the transition to a zero carbon electricity system.

What is currently lacking from the Government, both in the speech from the Minister and the Government's amendment to the motion, is clarity and a sense of how the growth of data centres is to be managed over the short and medium term. In his speech the Minister mentioned the publication of plans in the next month, but in the meantime we do not know what the position is. The wording of the Government's amendment states that it will set out "a suite of actions" and that the Government's statement on the role of data centres will ensure an "alignment with electricity emission reductions". We need to know how this is to be managed now.

The motion calls for a pause in further development as an interim measure until the sort of crucial assessments that we need into the environmental, economic and energy impacts have been carried out. That sort of risk analysis seems a sensible and measured approach.

There are two reasons that we need to support the motion and that the Labour Party will be voting for it. First, the motion recognises the demand on energy and, as we have said, the projected increased demand in energy demand as a result of the development of data centres. Second, the motion recognises the climate emergency within which we are all struggling with these issues.

In terms of the demand on energy, others have pointed out that there are 70 operational data centres in Ireland. Most are concentrated around Dublin. It is the largest data centre hub in Europe. That is not something to be dismayed about because if they are not here they will be elsewhere. The climate emergency is a global one. We have to bear that in mind when we are speaking about data centres. As the Minister said, many multinationals have stated their commitment to transition to zero carbon power and carbon emission neutrality.

That is all welcome, but we know, given what EirGrid has said today, that even where the energy that fuels data centres comes from predominantly renewable sources, as we hope it will, the demand still adds pressure to the grid. We are still reliant on non-renewable sources of energy, and demand becomes unsustainable without clear policy interventions and clear and urgent action being taken by the Government. The absence of an indication from the Government as to what that intervention will be is what the motion speaks to.

It is also important to note that, as I said, demand from data centres will be steady. We can project what it will be, but that is all the more reason to have a coherent national strategy in place. It is not just about energy and energy demand; it is also about the demand on our water supply. We know that most data centres use a huge amount of water to cool their servers.

In terms of the climate emergency, all present are very conscious of the fact that we are at a crucial juncture in the international movement to fight climate change. We are conscious of the IPCC report published last month. Tomorrow the Dáil will debate the upcoming climate action plan in anticipation of the COP26 conference in Glasgow at the end of October. There is a huge mobilisation of young people, in particular, many of whom were outside Leinster House last Friday.

Many are anxious to see us take urgent action to address climate change. It is because of this and the Government's commitments that commit us to reducing our emissions and reach a 51% target by 2030 with a net zero-carbon emissions target for 2050 and to reaching 70% renewable electricity by 2030, that we know this is simply not compatible with the projected increased demand in data centres unless there is a radical and urgent intervention by the Government and a clear and coherent plan as to how this demand is going to be met while aligning us with those ambitious but vital targets on climate emissions reduction.

To conclude, this motion simply calls for a pause. It is an essential interim measure to ensure that we meet climate targets and develop a sustainable policy on the location of data centres. It is crucial that we do this. We owe it to future generations, and to our young people who are out protesting every week, to do this. We are lacking currently from Government a clear strategy as to how this will be managed into the future. That is why the Labour Party is proud to support the motion.

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