“One rule for data centres, another for households,” says Boylan

Members of the opposition have questioned the logic of a hosepipe ban being introduced for households, while no such restrictions are being placed on data centres.

As Ireland faces one of its driest, warmest summers on record, a hosepipe ban has been implemented for Dublin and many counties on the east coast.

For members of the opposition, there is a belief that there is one rule for households and another for data centres.

Data centres have become notorious for the high amount of water usage they require to maintain operations, yet households are the ones left paying the tab.

Recent research showed that 23% of Ireland’s electricity is being used by data centres, with another recent report showing that as much as 80% of Dublin’s electricity supply is being used up by data centres.

The last government published a Climate Action Plan in 2021, which warned of “increased water demand as a result of the increased frequency of heatwaves, leading to further strain on water transmission and distribution networks, as well as on supply.”

People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy said “it is completely unacceptable that Uisce Éireann and the government can’t or won’t answer these questions when they’ve known for many years that this crisis was approaching.”

“Instead, their response is to make it an offence for ordinary people to water their gardens, with potential fines of up to €5,000,” the Dublin South-West TD noted.

“Ordinary people should not be threatened in this way when water is being used in increasing quantities by data centres. On the contrary, water supplies to data centres must be reduced during the heatwave,” he said.

“We urgently need a comprehensive audit of data centre regional water consumption, and I repeat our call for a ban on further data centre development to halt the damage they are wreaking on our environment and our society. So much damage has been done already, we cannot allow any more.”

Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan said there is a “blatant double standard,” remarking that it was one rule for households and another for data centres.

“It’s incredible that the government slapped a hosepipe ban on ordinary households yet is placing absolutely no restrictions on data centres,” she remarked.

“Instead of standing up to the tech giants running these water guzzlers, the government thinks it’s better to set up a snitching hotline for neighbours to report on one another.”

“Under Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Independents, it’s one rule for people trying to grow a few vegetables in the back garden or cool their children off in the paddling pool, another for data centres and big tech.”

The Sinn Féin MEP stated, “the fact is data centres use vast amounts of water.”

Research carried out by Boylan’s office found that Facebook’s data centre in Clonee uses over 900,000 cubic metres of water, while the average person uses 125 cubic metres. 

“Claims that data centres don’t use a lot simply don’t stack up,” she said.

“Despite the massive drain on resources, the government strategically keeps its head in the sand. They deliberately avoid collecting the information from data centres on how much water they use,” Boylan asserted.

Boylan stated, “we can’t let them get away with it.” 

“The time for excuses is over. The government needs to implement that legislation, force data centres to tell the public how much water they are extracting from our communities, and force them to use less.”