Academic Study Challenges Irish Data Centre Economic Claims

An academic study published September 24, 2026, alleges that the Irish government used a flawed methodology to exaggerate the economic benefits of the data centre industry. The researchers target a report produced by KPMG for the Department of Enterprise, which claimed that data centres underpin 876,000 jobs.

Patrick Bresnihan, an associate professor at Maynooth University and co-author of the study, argues the government figure is spurious. He asserts the report relied on an arbitrary 50km proximity rule and a non-representative sample of large firms to establish job dependency. Bresnihan stated that continued expansion of the sector represents an irrational allocation of resources, suggesting the investment used between 2019 and 2025 could have instead built nearly 50,000 homes or created tens of thousands of jobs in education and health.

The Department of Enterprise stated it will consider the research but declined to comment on specific findings pending a full review. KPMG declined to comment on the allegations. The dispute follows a Dáil debate where Minister for the Environment Darragh O'Brien compared the Irish data centre sector to the German automotive industry.