4. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment his response to findings in a recent report by Friends of the Earth that data centre energy demand added a cumulative €715 million to household electricity bills between 2015 and 2023 and could add a further €1.6 billion over the next decade; his response to a recent report (details supplied) on data centres commissioned by the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, and whether he accepts its claims regarding employment numbers and economic value; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44852/26]

Sentiment score: 0.29

I ask the Minister for his response to findings in a recent report by Friends of the Earth that data centre energy demand added a cumulative €715 million to household electricity bills between 2015 and 2023 and could add a further €1.6 billion over the next decade; his response to a recent report from KPMG on data centres commissioned by the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment; and whether he accepts the claims in that report regarding employment numbers and economic value.

Sentiment score: 0.81

I thank the Minister of State. Of course, data centres have a role in modern society. No one would dispute that, but there is an important conversation starting about the costs and benefits. The benefits must be in proportion to the costs. Many of us in this House fear that the balance is being lost here. The Friends of the Earth report spoke to the costs that data centres are adding to our energy bills. We know of the strain that they are putting on our electricity grid, and that they are undermining our decarbonisation goals. What we are trying to do here is scrutinise the Government's industrial policy as much as its climate and decarbonisation strategy. The Minister of State mentioned that data centres are important in retaining jobs and industry here, but the job figures quoted in that report were frankly embarrassing. There were 876,000 jobs linked to data centres. Was the Minister of State not at all embarrassed about that kind of figure coming out? The real figure – the Minister of State mentioned 180,000 jobs – is more like 19,500, half of which are in construction. I would like the Minister of State's response to that.

Sentiment score: 0.11

We welcome regulation and planning in this area. Currently, 22% of our energy is going to data centres. That is going to be 30% by 2030. Even under the Government's current plans, it looks like 55% of our energy will be going towards data centres, if all the data centres that are in planning are built. What does the Minister of State believe is an acceptable proportion of our energy going to data centres? Is it 22%? Is it 30%? Is it 55%? Even 22% means we have five times more energy going to data centres than in the USA. It is 20 times more than in China. The Minister answered a question earlier on energy security, but data centre strategy is undermining our energy security by increasing the gas demand in this country. Even if only 20% of the energy going into data centres is associated with gas and not renewables, it will double the peak demand for gas in this country. Again, it is undermining the Government's other strategies.

Sentiment score: 0.19