Data Centres
Dail Éireann — 2026-06-11
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Darragh O'Brien (FF), Dublin Fingal East

I welcome the fact that Deputy Daly recognises the importance of ICT, digital infrastructure and data centres. This is something on which most will agree. The most critical parts of this are the large energy user action plan and the CRU decision on large energy users, both of which are from last year. Both clearly set out what is required for a new data centre or a large energy user connection. This means for a new data centre to get an energy connection it is required to get 80% of its energy through new renewable sources.
There is a plan-led approach. There is also the grid investment through PR6, which is critical for all of our industries and housing. This is the €18.9 billion investment to 2030 and beyond. It is absolutely critical. We need to ensure that we remain at the cutting edge of new technologies. As I mentioned, digital infrastructure is our large industrial base. Unlike many other European countries we are not a large manufacturing country. This is something we need to protect. We have not had a situation where any housing has not been connected due to the growth in our economy.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-06-11/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-14T01:01:05+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-06-11