Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. I disagree with his comment that data centres create only a few jobs. The role that data centres play in the economy is significant for large tech and foreign direct investment, FDI. We will continue to support our commitment to working with key stakeholders in that area, including the IDA, to identify and support new approaches. That is important. We need to integrate large-scale demand and sustainability into our energy system but we also need to strike a balance. New data centre grid connections are now considered by system operators on a case-by-case basis. We are also in line with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, around the direction to system operators around data centre grid connection. The CRU is also working to reprofile when and where to establish these data centres to ensure that the developments have access to a renewable source. The CRU has also completed its review of connections of large-scale energy users and the Government is reviewing the CRU's proposed direction in this regard.

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