March in Dublin to demand immediate moratorium on new data centres

Statement from Friends of the Earth Ireland

Around 2,000 campaigners and representatives from community groups from all over Ireland joined politicians and Friends of the Earth Ireland in Dublin yesterday Saturday to demand a moratorium on new data centres.

They claim data centres are driving up electricity bills, threatening energy security and undermining Ireland’s climate commitments.

Marching through Dublin city centre, they warned that communities cannot keep paying the price for Big Tech’s growing energy demands saying: ‘Enough is enough’.

Rosi Leonard, Data Centre Campaign lead with Friends of the Earth Ireland, said: “The huge turnout today from all over the country is a sign of huge concern over rapid data centre development,

“Today’s message to the government is clear: put people before big tech.

“Households struggling with electricity bills should not be footing the cost of an industry whose appetite for power keeps growing.”

“Data centres already consume almost a quarter of Ireland’s electricity. Allowing further expansion means piling pressure on our grid, increasing dependence on fossil fuels and making our climate targets harder to reach. A moratorium is urgently needed.”

Research commissioned by Friends of the Earth Ireland and Beyond Fossil Fuels estimated that data centre growth added €715 million to household electricity bills between 2015 and 2023.

Ms Leonard added: “Communities are right to demand answers about who benefits and who pays. Our electricity system must prioritise homes, essential services and a fair transition to clean energy.

“The government must halt new data centres, place firm limits on the expansion of existing facilities and independently assess the risks to our energy and water systems.

“It cannot keep approving expansion and leave the public to pick up the bill.”

The Dublin march was part of a Europe-wide day of action against data centre expansion.