Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach says a lot of progress was made. It is just not true. The problem is seen if we look at the Taoiseach's speech in Egypt: fine words, and then he comes home and it is business as usual. I will give one example. The Minister with responsibility for local government has overturned the democratic decision of South Dublin County Council to ban new data centres for the duration of the next county development plan. It is a motion that was proposed by People Before Profit Councillor Madeleine Johansson and passed back in June. South Dublin is the data centre hub of Ireland and about half of all of the data centres in Ireland are there. We know that data centres in total are using 17% of our electricity now, more than all of the rural homes put together. To add insult to injury, the Government did not exempt data centres from the temporary business energy support scheme, TBESS, so we are going to be paying these data centres, which are consuming an inordinate amount of electricity, up to €30,000 a year, subsidising some of the biggest and richest corporations in the world. Does the Taoiseach not agree we need a moratorium? Will he not overturn the decision of his Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage and reinstate the ban?

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