Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Guím gach rath ar an Aire Stáit ina post nua. Yesterday, I heard a Member of this House - I will not name anyone who is not here - speak and use his fake outrage for his little clip online about how he is annoyed that big tech will dominate this industry. As a recently qualified mechanical engineer who did my thesis on data centres and the waste heat potential they have, that is absolute codswallop. What does he suppose that we do when the countries around us develop this technology? Are we just going to sit back in the Iron Age and do nothing? In about five years' time, when the next election is on, what is he going to do then? Give out that everyone is emigrating? Of course they are emigrating. There are no jobs here because they are not being allowed to develop. I have just qualified from DCU and I have seen the amount of change. We have new courses for AI, data centres and data analysts. What are we going to do when these people qualify? Tell them, "Sorry, data centres are not allowed in Ireland. Go over to the UK or France."? It is ridiculous and no solutions are offered. It is just people giving out for their little audience. What are we going to do? Abandon technology in Ireland and turn our backs on progress? It is ridiculous. Let us be clear - and I know this from my thesis - that data centres and AI are not just tools. They are fundamental for the future of Ireland and for the wider economy as a whole. At the moment, there are 53,000 jobs in Ireland directly or indirectly linked to data centres. That is one in 50 people. What are we going to do when they get further stuff onto the State? It is absolute codswallop. I am sick of it. As I have already seen first-hand, and as I have just mentioned, the universities and technical universities are training this next generation. I have a degree in this, all my friends have degrees in this and there is not enough in Ireland already. Loads of my friends have emigrated. Let us jump and seize on this potential that we have in our climate. AI-powered automation is expected to increase by up to 20% by 2030, and the global AI market is projected to grow to €1.7 trillion by 2030. Ireland, due to our climate, is ideal for data centres. What are we going to do? My whole life I have seen us throw away our fossil fuels. Are we going to throw away another potential to benefit the Irish people? It is absolutely appalling.

I am happy to see that in the programme for Government there is an important restriction and it is stated that we want on-site renewable energy. I was not too delighted yesterday when I saw the CRU implement new rules that did not really focus on this. We need to put in these advancements and lean towards developments that create on-site renewable energy and, in the programme for Government on private wires legislation, allow the data centres to create their own energy, supplying other business parks. At the moment, yes, 20% of our electricity is being used by data centres. Great. Are we going to give out about it or are we going to give solutions? We should allow them to build their own solar panels, their own on-site energy, but not allow them to use greenwashing tactics for diesel generators and have it off-grid. That really needs to be done particularly well. There are brilliant people in all the universities of engineering who can come in and guide us through this, and I really encourage that to be done.

I know AI can be dangerous. I have seen videos of me online saying something I never said. However, the EU AI Act sets an important precedent for regulating the high risk of AI applications and I am delighted to see that. There needs to be data centre governance, as I have said, to demonstrate that big corporations need to do their part and commit to our grid and not just leach off it.

We have a choice to lead in our AI future, thereby ensuring our country and everyone here benefits from what is coming and ensuring it works with us rather than against us. This is not about Ireland's place. It is about ensuring we are going to be securing jobs for the future of Ireland. In short, there is a boom coming. Are we going to grab it and benefit the Irish people, following the programme for Government, and make sure we force multinationals to ensure they create green on-site energy and not allow them to use diesel generators? We have so much potential in this country. As I have already mentioned, for the future generations of Ireland, do not let us throw this away.

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