Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

Let us talk about Moneypoint. The Minister of State's party leader told RTÉ this morning that using oil and coal power stations for longer than expected will not jeopardise Ireland's emissions reduction targets. Greta Thunberg had establishment politicians precisely like his leader in mind when she talked yesterday about how they open their mouths and go, "Blah, blah, blah."

If Tarbert and Moneypoint power stations are not closed by the agreed dates, the climate movement might usefully have a debate about trying to do so by way of a direct action people power campaign. Such a move would put the Minister of State and his Green Party colleagues in a difficult position. Either back down and shut down fossil fuel power generation, as the climate movement demands, or stay in government as his party's leader last did while the cops move in to crack the heads of climate campaigners standing up for a just cause the way that they did at Rossport the last time the Green Party was in government holding the Ministry. Only this time it will be a far more difficult sell-out for the Green Party. The issues will be coming to a head precisely as the clock ticks down to 2030, and this time with the eyes of a generation of young people upon them. No doubt, the Minister of State will say that the alternative is power cuts, but I do not agree. Data centres use up between 2% to 3% of electricity output worldwide. In Ireland, the equivalent figure is 11% and this could treble before the end of the decade. Uncontrolled development of data centres is incompatible with our climate goals. As has been mentioned, it is like trying to run up the down escalator. Placing carbon limits on data centres is not the answer. That will only lead to data centres switching to green energy and eating up a hugely disproportionate volume of our much-needed green energy supplies. I urge the Minister of State to act like his house is on fire. It is time for action and not for more "Blah, blah, blah".

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