Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

When people think about the main drivers of climate change they generally think of things like burning fossil fuels, deforestation and single-use plastics, but rarely do they think about or give adequate consideration to the role that data centres play, despite their environmental cost. This is partly because we have become so accustomed to the idea of the cloud where our data are said to exist. However, this metaphor fails to reflect the reality of brick-and-mortar data centres and their huge carbon footprint. Ireland has become a cheerleader for these digital factories with 70 operational data centres, 54 of which are in Dublin, making Dublin the largest data centre hub in Europe. This proliferation of data centres has occurred with seemingly little consideration for our climate targets or ill-equipped infrastructure, unless we consider a 17-page document entitled "Government Statement on the Role of Data Centres in Ireland's Enterprise Strategy" to be any kind of robust scrutiny or planning assessment.

We all accept that the colossal amount of digital information produced every day needs to be stored somewhere. That is why data centres have become a critical feature of modern life, but if we do not stop to assess the impact of data centres, blackouts and widespread fuel poverty could also become features of modern life. We are repeatedly fed assurances that data centres will be fully powered by renewables and future technological advances in time. However, the specific technology needed to achieve this and the timeline for market adoption remains unknown. In the meantime, we are expected to accept that data centres could amount to 70% of our energy consumption by 2030, if all proposed data centres are connected to the grid. This is an utterly untenable situation. Either the Government is burying its head in the sand or it has fallen for the industry's greenwashing of data centres. Given the State's overriding devotion to foreign capital, one would be forgiven for assuming it has put the interests of tech companies ahead of the public interest and the planet.

While I do not agree with Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil's long-standing approach to foreign direct investment, FDI, whereby they have offered a scarcely equalled environment to avoid tax liabilities, it certainly aligns with their ideology. Low corporation tax, light-touch regulation and special tax arrangements are attractive to multinationals engaged in a race to the bottom. However, I fail to see how this Government's approach to data centres is consistent with its FDI policy. Regular power cuts would hardly complement any strategy to attract and retain multinationals. Even the IDA has conceded that the growing instability of our electricity network is "causing disquiet in the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) community". It is clear that continuing with no real strategy on data centres would not bolster our reputation as a favoured destination for FDI, a reputation the State is always at pains to protect. More important, it would show a complete disregard for Irish households, jeopardise our energy supply and inflame the single biggest threat to our country and our planet, that is, the climate crisis.

Even if we were to accept such a scenario, what would be the benefit? Is there anything to be gained from housing a disproportionate amount of the world's data? Are a relatively small number of jobs worth it? This moratorium would allow time to answer these questions and analyse the true impact of data centres. Without it, the burden of tackling the climate crisis will once again fall disproportionately on the shoulders of those least responsible for it. If this Government is really serious about climate action and a just transition, it must press pause on data centres now.

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