Lynn Boylan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I feel like a broken record when it comes to islanded data centres because it seems as if we are ignoring the elephant in the room. The recent figures from GNI's ten-year network development plan show an astounding level of data centre connections in the industrial consumer segment of the market while at the same time demand for electricity in the household sector is projected to decline. It once again highlights the imbalance at the heart of current climate action efforts. Households and small businesses are disproportionately burdened by higher prices and are actively reducing their gas consumption while industrial users continue to expand their demand with impunity. The fact that Gas Networks Ireland sees no problem with this is deeply problematic.

We tried to work with the Minister of State in terms of changing the mandate of GNI because while it is a relevant body - the caveat would be insofar as is practical - it seems to think it is not practical to refuse connections to the grid. The Minister has the opportunity to change the legislation to make sure that loophole is closed but is refusing to do so. If we look at what GNI is saying in its forecasting plan, it is the same climate denial technique we see across the board when it comes to the heavy polluting sectors and to expanding the most harmful industries. They are portrayed as beneficial to the plants. We heard from Mark Foley, CEO of EirGrid, that Ireland needs data centres in order to encourage the offshore wind industry to come to Ireland. We hear from GNI that these data centres are in the grid and we will somehow decarbonise the grid later and it will set a market for biomethane and biogases as it will create the demand needed for these industries to flourish. These are the tactics of the climate denial playbook and we hear it from the organisations that are supposed to be responsible for decarbonising our economy.

It is disappointing but we will continue to bang the drum until at some point the Government gets its act together and realises how damaging it is for data centres to be connecting to the gas grid.