Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

-----on another occasion, and I will now answer the question. Climate change is real. It is happening. It is a clear and present danger. It is man made, and we need to act to reverse it. We have to be the generation that turns the tide when it comes to climate change.

In respect of data centres, over 100,000 people in Ireland work for technology firms. They might not work in data centres, but their jobs would not exist without the existence of data centres. As a result, data centres are important to our economy and for jobs and job creation. While there may not be a moratorium on new data centres, it might be useful for me to advise the Deputy that EirGrid has not approved a new connection since July 2020. It has been nearly three years since a new data centre was given a grid connection. Based on the Government’s policy statement in that regard, applications for new data centres are assessed on a case-by-case basis, taking into account their impact on things such as job creation.

On emissions, far from standing still, our electricity-related carbon emissions went down last year, not up, going in the right direction but by no means fast enough. The solution, when it comes to data centres, is to make sure, first, that they are powered through renewable energy, which is what we are doing, with solar and wind, onshore and offshore, and second, to make sure they have their own back-up generation in order that, in the event we run into an issue with security of supply, far from being a problem, they can be part of the solution by means of generating electricity and selling it into the grid. That is our approach to data centres.

The EU nature restoration law is only a proposal at the moment. Different proposals are being negotiated. I am absolutely convinced that we can agree an EU restoration law that will help us when it comes to reversing biodiversity loss, but I believe it should be realistic. Targets that are set should be realistic, and we should implement an EU restoration law in a way that does not impose obligations on Irish farmers. It is my very strong view that any rewetting of privately owned farmland should be both voluntary and properly remunerated and compensated by the Government and the European Union. Will the Deputy sign up to that?

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