Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I want to put on the record, as I have done before, an issue that is a cause of frustration.

When I raise issues with the Minister or the Department, I am often pointed towards a body at arm's length, whether that is the CRU, EirGrid or some other organisation with responsibility. Especially in the context of the CRU, there is always a line in the response that the body is not responsible to the Minister or the Department, but to the Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action. I am a member of that joint committee and I am not satisfied with the CRU's level of accountability in that regard. The other members of the joint committee present can have their say on this subject. For me, that response is a cop-out and I call it out as that.

My amendment provides for an economic, environmental and energy security impact risk analysis, an impact assessment, of current and planned data centres. The Minister is playing with words regarding what has been granted on what dates. Several applications are working their way through the planning process regarding a site in Huntstown in my county. We need to have a real conversation about what is current, what is planned and what will be delivered in economic, environmental and energy security terms. I am not satisfied that the Government is across this issue or that EirGrid, the CRU or any other agency will do it. If past performance is any indicator of future performance, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment will continue to plough ahead with these projects, and other Departments and other Ministers will look around the place. It is completely unacceptable. At the very least, we need a commitment to an impact assessment.

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