Sir, – Could somebody please ask Leo Varadkar to explain why data centres should be treated as strategic to Ireland as regards planning permission? For the most part, these data centres store data relating to people outside Ireland, guzzle a staggering amount of electricity, make our climate change targets even more impossible and expensive to reach, clog up our broadband infrastructure, while providing a paltry number of enduring jobs per billion invested. What public good is met by a misguided proliferation of data centres, far exceeding what is needed to satisfy Ireland’s own requirements? Our infrastructure – which the Irish citizens have paid dearly for – should be reserved for our citizens and not to kowtow to indiscriminate, predatory, profit-seeking multinationals. – Yours, etc,
JOHN LYNCH,
Naas,
Co Kildare.