In March 2022 People Before Profit Cllr Madeleine Johansson proposed and passed a motion on South Dublin County Council to ban any new data centres for the duration of the new County Development Plan 2022-2028. However, this democratic decision was overturned by then Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Peter Burke in summer 2022.
Ireland, and South Dublin in particular, has become the biggest hub of data centres in Europe. There are at least 37 already in operation in South Dublin alone. Data centres accounted for almost a fifth of all electricity used in Ireland in 2022, as much as was used by all households in the country’s urban areas.
Cllr Madeleine Johansson said “The government’s insistence on increasing the amount of data centres is not compatible with achieving our climate targets. Data centres are using enormous amounts of electricity and water, when there is already a strain on the grid and water supplies.” “11 new data centres have been given planning permission, that wouldn’t have happened if my motion hadn’t been undemocratically overturned by the government. Some data centres have been refused permission based on the stricter rules in the plan thanks to my motion. I will continue to fight for a moratorium on Data centres in South Dublin.”
Gino Kenny TD added “People are playing their part, we can see that because household electricity usage has gone down but meanwhile, the government insists on increasing the number of Data centres. This is clearly at odds with Ireland’s climate targets and will make it next to impossible to achieve our climate goals. People Before Profit will continue to campaign for a moratorium on Data centres in South Dublin and nationally.”
