Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I commend the Social Democrats on bringing forward this important motion. Today we are the European capital of data centres. In reality, that is a badge of climate dishonour for this State. We are playing host to more than 70 of these centres, with many more under construction or at advanced stages of the planning process. The Taoiseach's recent comments were to the effect that we would look at escalating the planning of these new centres.

EirGrid first estimated these data centres would be using 29% of our energy by 2028 but less than a year later the estimation jumped to 31% by one year earlier in 2027. Clearly, reaching climate targets would be fanciful, meaning the cost to our society would be large and we would incur fines. We have already seen increases in our fossil fuel imports to offset the increased energy demand. The CRU has even suggested imposing a moratorium on them because of the risk of blackouts this winter. That seems like the sensible thing to do. Instead, what do we do? We give them capital allowances. In terms of how much tax is foregone, who knows? I asked the Minister for Finance how much tax is foregone in this regard last week and how much this is costing this State. The reply I got was that we do not have that figure. Revenue does not collect that figure. That badly needs to be rectified for environmental reasons and in the interests of transparency and fiscal prudence, to borrow the Government's favourite buzz term.

What I find most frustrating about all of this is how the Government continues to talk out of both sides of its mouth. At the start of August the Taoiseach lectured us on how climate change will have increasingly devastating consequences unless we address it. On that, he is right. Then two weeks later, what did he do? He told us he will streamline the planning application process for data centres. Again, he has been talking out of two sides of his mouth. Then, this month he thought he would lecture world leaders on climate change. His apparent lack of self-awareness is frightening. The Taoiseach may as well have been spraying aerosol cans while burning leaves in front of other world leaders because that is how ridiculous this was.

We need to take climate action seriously. We need to examine the issue of data centres. We have a sensible motion before us. We would not be the first state to do this. Let us do this. Let us back this motion and start taking the climate crisis seriously.

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