Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

Last year, data centres took approximately 11% of the total electricity used in Ireland, and it is projected that they could account for over 30% of all demand by 2030. This is unbelievable. A sector which most people have only recently become aware of is using over one tenth of our electricity, and this is likely to rise to over one third in nine years. Does this industry employ a corresponding number of people to justify this massive power usage? Does it pay a similar amount in taxes to the State? Is it a sector that has been allowed to balloon, use a disproportionate amount of power and keep on growing? Where was the national discussion on this? Why has this industry, which has not been identified by the Government until recently as a priority, been given this powerful position? Listening to Fine Gael Deputies you would swear that we are asking for something outlandish but our motion today simply calls for a moratorium until a proper risk analysis of their economic, environmental and energy impact is carried out. This is a basic requirement for good governance and sound policy making. It is irresponsible of the Government to allow data centres to gain such a position without full and proper risk analysis, but it is absolutely reckless that this would now happen in the context of a climate crisis and warnings of winter power shortages.

We know data centres are resource-hungry projects, using the same amount of energy as a large town or a small city like Kilkenny, and consuming between 500,000 and 5 million litres of water a day. This is deeply worrying and deeply unfair. Data centres are being quietly promoted by Government Departments, with little understanding of their impact. We are facing the very real prospect of blackouts where families and communities will be without power. At the same time, there are known risks to water supply in many areas of the country, including towns in west Cork, due to insufficient infrastructure. On one hand, we have data centres consuming massive amounts of electricity and water, and, on the other, we have ordinary people at risk of power cuts and water shortages. This is a very revealing insight into Government priorities.

The 2018 Government statement on data centres in Ireland’s enterprise strategy notes that "data centres pose considerable challenges to the future planning and operation of Ireland’s power system" but is short on solutions to this major issue. It vaguely mentions that the Government can take steps to mitigate this and that data centres' desire for green electricity could stimulate supply and technology innovation in renewable energy. Against the very real risk to energy supply, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment offers hopes and possibilities but this is of little reassurance to worried SMEs and communities.

Reading over the Government statement and listening to Ministers' speeches at the opening of data centres, it seems clear that they have fully bought into the demands of large ICT companies. Data centres bring in foreign direct investment and create construction jobs, but at what cost? Deputy Cian O'Callaghan spoke about the cost in regard to the construction sector and housing. Is this sustainable in the long run? We do not know, and this is the issue. We are being asked to support this industry based on the assertions of large corporations. Where is the holistic analysis? Where are the environmental impact discussions? Where will the energy come from?

In response to a parliamentary question on data centre energy use, the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications informed me that the forthcoming climate action plan will set out the actions required to deliver on Ireland's emissions reduction targets, including in the electricity sector. However, it is reported that data centres made up 1.85% of our total carbon emissions last year. This industry is increasing our emissions. How can the Government reconcile this with the climate action plan? Each sector will have to do its part to reduce emissions but this will be made harder on households, farmers and small businesses if they have to counterbalance the increasing emissions from data centres. Our motion is asking the Government to assess properly the impact of this sector before even more resource-hungry centres are built. It only seeks that we make fully informed decisions, considering the economic, environmental and energy effects of these massive developments. The Government and the public should know what is involved before committing us to a course of action that could result in blackouts and make reaching our emissions targets harder than it already is. There is no valid argument against pausing to assess properly this industry, its role in our economy and the trade-offs we will have to make. I urge all Deputies to support the Social Democrats' motion.

See this speech in context