Louth residents are set to join a demonstration in Dublin on Saturday, 7th November opposing the development of new large-scale data centres.
The demonstration is being organised by Friends of the Earth Ireland in association with community groups and forms part of a European-wide day of action on data centres.
Organisers say more than 85 groups from ten countries across Europe are taking part.
Friends of the Earth Ireland says the continued development of data centres is increasing pressure on Ireland’s electricity system and contributing to higher energy costs and reliance on fossil fuels.
The organisation says data centres now use 23% of all electricity in Ireland.
Drogheda development among concerns
In Louth, campaigners are opposing a proposed large-scale data centre at the former Premier Periclase site in Drogheda as part of a mixed-use industrial campus.
According to the supplied statement, conditional planning permission was granted by Louth County Council before the decision was appealed by An Taisce to An Coimisiún Pleanála.
The statement says An Taisce argued that granting permission “would facilitate a breach of the emissions reduction obligations under the Climate Act”.
Louth resident James Renaghan, who has been campaigning against new data centres in the area, said local people would be among those travelling to Dublin.
People from Louth are joining the march to portray our rejection of plans to build a data centre next to the river Boyne in Drogheda, he said.
There is now an application to build a gas power plant at Tullyallen in Louth. Environmental damage and increased energy costs is what we will suffer while a small few benefit at the top pushing the AI and data centre agenda.
Friends of the Earth calls for moratorium
Rosi Leonard, Data Centre Campaign Lead with Friends of the Earth Ireland, said the organisation wants to see a halt to new data centre developments.
New data centres pose a threat to energy security, climate goals, clean energy targets, affordability, and demand for new fossil fuels, she said.
We’re proud to join other countries and communities who are all asking the same question as us: who benefits from massive data centre build out, and who pays the price?
She added: “A moratorium on new data centres in Ireland should be common sense; they are increasing our energy bills, they are locking us into a new generation of fossil fuels, and workers’ rights are being undermined more and more by expensive gambles on AI.
The demonstration will begin at 12 noon at the Garden of Remembrance in Dublin on Saturday, 7th November.
