Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I realise we need data centres, but do we need the number that we are allowing to take place? Where is that reflected in Government policy? The thumbs-up approach in 2018 was disgraceful. The slight changes made since then are welcome. We are going to have 30% of our electricity going to data centres. There is a 65-acre site owned by the company in question, Amazon. Ireland uses some 30% of its energy in these centres compared to 3% of such use in Europe . Where is the policy on what is sustainable and on how much of the electricity will be diverted from households? In 2022, data centres used as much electricity as urban households. I do not know what quantity that is but that is the case according to a Central Statistics Office document. At what stage will we have a proper analysis of what is sustainable with regard to our commitments for emissions and for a sustainable future?

See this speech in context