Sinn Féin MEP for Dublin, Lynn Boylan, has said that data centres are contributing to Ireland’s electricity price crisis, with soaring demand pushing up prices and leaving households to foot the bill.

Boylan was commenting following the publication of findings of the data centre report commissioned by Friends of the Earth and completed by Professor Hannah Daly.

Boylan said:

“I welcome the critical report by Professor Hannah Daly, which exposes the damaging impact data centres are having on Ireland’s electricity system.

“These massive energy consumers now account for over 21% of our electricity demand, depleting resources that should be helping to lower costs for households.

“Instead, their insatiable appetite for power forces us to rely more on expensive fossil fuels, keeping electricity prices among the highest in Europe. As a result, more than half a million energy customers are in debt to energy companies.

“To make matters worse, government supports intended for struggling households are being undermined by data centres.

“The electricity rebate, designed to ease pressure on families, has been wiped out by rising Public Service Obligation (PSO) and network charges – costs driven in part by data centre growth. These increased charges effectively act as subsidies for data centres, forcing ordinary people to pay for the profits of multinationals.

“If we are serious about reducing electricity costs, we need to tackle the unchecked growth of data centres. This means stricter regulations, removing tax advantages, and ensuring they contribute to renewable energy expansion rather than competing for scarce resources.

“Unfortunately Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have consistently prioritised multinational interests over those of Irish families. Instead of addressing the problem, they seem determined to worsen it.”