Tanáiste in favour of Ennis Data Centre proceeding

SUPPORT for the planned Ennis Data Centre has been voiced by Tanáiste, Micheál Martin (FF).

In April, An Bord Pleanála gave the green light to plans for a new 200MW €1.2 billion data centre campus on the outskirts of Ennis. The data centre campus is to comprise six data halls covering 145 acres or 1.3 million sq ft on lands adjacent to the Tulla Road on the eastern outskirts of Ennis near Junction 13 on the M18 motorway connecting Galway to Limerick.

Applicants, Art Data Centres Ltd confirmed that the project will create between 400- 450 permanent jobs when the data centre campus is fully operational with up to 1,200 jobs in construction. They are hoping to start construction in 2024.

During his recent visit to the county at the Ennis Chamber President’s Lunch, Tanáiste Micheál Martin (FF) in his address spoke of the digital economy and trying to bring more foreign direct investment to the town of Ennis.

When questioned on the matter following his speech, the Minister for Foreign Affairs said he was in favour of the data centre in Ennis proceeding. “I would support that Data Centre and its connection to the grid. We’ve a lot of Data Centres in Ireland but we are living in a digital economy and that is the future, AI is coming and the demand for data will grow exponentially so we have to facilitate all of that, it positions Ireland well for the long-term, we have to expand the grid but this represents an opportunity for here and for this location, that is why for areas outside of Dublin which haven’t had that sort of investment in the past we can’t deny them that investment, I understand the grid capacity is there”.

Of the seven councillors in the Ennis Municipal District, Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF), Cllr Pat Daly (FF), Cllr Mary Howard (FG), Cllr Paul Murphy (FG) and Cllr Tom O’Callaghana (FF) are in favour of the Data Centre, Cllr Antoinette Baker Bashua (FF) said she needed to acquire more information on the plans while Cllr Tommy Guilfoyle (SF) is opposed to the data centre.

In a statement to The Clare Echo on Tuesday, environmental groups disputing the granting of permission for the Ennis Data Centre said they were angry with the CSO’s 2023’s electricity consumption data showing that data centres now use more energy than either urban or rural housing.

Friends of the Irish Environment argued over 80 data centres are already in operation, a further 14 are under construction, and planning applications are approved or pending for 52 more such projects. “All we are getting from the Government is blah blah blah,” a spokesperson stated.