Sinn Féin spokesperson on Climate justice, Senator Lynn Boylan, has called on Eamon Ryan to bring forward emergency legislation without delay to prevent data centres from connecting to the gas grid.

She added that the Minister must clear any legal roadblock that is preventing Gas Networks Ireland from following his instruction to stop connecting so-called “islanded” data centres to the grid

Senator Boylan said:

“I raised this when the Commission for the Regulation for Utilities was before the Joint Oireachtas Committee, and asked had Gas Networks Ireland (GNI) been in contact with the CRU about their concerns.

“I highlighted how the data centre connections to the grid could blow our carbon budget out of the water with their ever increasing demand for gas.

“The commissioner informed the Oireachtas Committee that Gas Networks Ireland had raised concerns.

“The CRU said they ‘need to look at the implications for the carbon sectoral emissions limits’ and ‘there is a bit more work to be done but we are engaging with GNI on that.’

“I have been calling for stricter controls for data centres for a long time. The government continues to pursue Fine Gael’s hairbrained strategy.

“The fiasco of data centres has gone on too long. It boggles the mind how Fianna Fáil and Greens are going along with it.

“Enough is enough. Eamon Ryan must take decisive action and legislate to stop gas network connections now.”