Data Centres

13. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment for an update on the use of data centres in Dublin; and to outline the increased cost to consumers. [78246/26]

I ask for an update on the use of data centres in Dublin. We are seeing electricity bills going up for ordinary families while companies which make billions in profits every year pay a lower rate. We also see environmental factors like noise pollution in our communities. Will the Minister of State say a few words on that?

I thank the Deputy for his question. The Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, is responsible for the regulation of security of electricity supply, including ensuring electricity systems can meet growing demand and manage impacts on consumer and system costs. The electricity network tariff set out by the CRU to recover the cost of developing, operating and maintaining the electricity grid funds a grid that is more resilient to storms and can supply electricity to a growing population, new houses and expanding businesses. The CRU advises that extra-large energy users like data centres have in recent years increased network costs, with average increases of 175% compared with a 45% increase in domestic customers from 2020 to 2026. The CRU is progressing a multi-annual energy network tariff review project to reform network charges to ensure costs are fairly distributed across different consumers. Our digital economy is our core energy-intensive sector and makes a significant contribution to our direct economy, including tax revenue and jobs. Data centres are fundamental to this and to Ireland's position as a leading global hub for digital and technological enterprise. They form a core part of the State's digital infrastructure, supporting critical activities and services. CSO analysis indicates data centres accounted for around 23% of Ireland's electricity demand in 2025. They account for roughly half of metered consumption in the Dublin-Meath region, according to the CRU, given the concentration of data centres in that area. The Government continues to work with the regulator and electricity system operators to assess and support expected demand on the systems, including economic and population growth, housing, electric vehicles and heat pump capacity.