Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

The emphasis here is on what you choose to pick out of it. Friends of the Earth is right. The amount of energy from the national grid used by Data centres is absolutely shocking. It currently stands at around 14% and is set to rise to 30% by 2030. These kind of figures are unbelievable. The Minister seems to live in a fantastical world where, on the one hand, the Chair of the climate committee believes that we need more data centres if we have no more renewables but where, on the other, the problem is cows and cars. The Minister needs to look at the facts. There is a real problem in that we cannot attempt to reach our targets if we continue with this policy. New Fortress Energy is distributing leaflets around Shannon quoting the Minister and others. It thinks it can convince the population that it is doing the right thing. We are on a hiding to nothing because lots of people are going to make lots of profits out of this crisis. We have to call a halt to this. Let us be absolutely clear: responsibility for that rests on the Minister's shoulders. The policy of promoting data centres, on the one hand, and saying, “Nothing to see here, move on”, on the other, is absolutely hypocritical.

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