Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

Over recent weeks, there has been much conjecture about possible blackouts because of energy shortages. Ministers and the Taoiseach have said there may not be a guaranteed supply of electricity in the future. If it was not so serious, this would be very funny, but it is extremely serious. One of the reasons there is going to be a huge demand for electricity is data centres now and into the medium term. Most people will ask what purpose data centres serve because they use so much of the energy and resources we need at the moment. That is the big question most will ask. Data centres represent the hyper-corporate consumerism of "you are the product". That is what social media, Google, Facebook and TikTok are all about - you are the product, at the end of the day.

Clondalkin has now become "Ireland's data centre cluster", and TikTok will build one of the biggest data centres in Europe in Clondalkin. That will consume more energy and electricity in one day than the whole of Clondalkin does in three months. It is an incredible amount of energy that it will consume. However, we must ask the question of how many jobs it will create. Very few.

I say to the Minister and the Green Party that if they were standing here on this side of the House, they would support this Bill. The Bill is a very reasonable demand and a reasonable Bill in its essence. The Green Party has a lot to answer for. It has entered government and has compromised its environmental credentials on this policy on the basis of being in government. If its Members were in opposition, there is no doubt they would fully support this Bill. It says more about the Green Party that it is not supporting this Bill than about us, given this could have a huge impact on elderly people. I say to the Green Party Members that it is not too late. They could break ranks and support this Bill.

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