Protesters Demand Data Centre Moratoriums Across Ireland and Scotland
Friends of the Earth and allied groups are protesting data centre expansions in Dublin and Edinburgh, citing threats to energy security and climate goals.
Thousands of protesters marched from Parnell Square to Leinster House in Dublin on November 7 to demand an immediate moratorium on new data centres. Organized by Friends of the Earth Ireland as part of a Europe-wide day of action, the demonstration highlighted concerns over carbon emissions, water and noise pollution, and energy security. Campaign lead Rosi Leonard argued that data centres now consume 23% of Ireland's electricity, which has driven up household energy bills and locked the country into fossil fuel reliance.
While protesters targeted specific projects like the Herbarta Ltd campus in Naas and the Red Admiral DC Ltd project in Rochfortbridge, Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke defended the expansion. Burke described the sector as a strategic economic opportunity that has added 22 billion euros to the economy and created 17,000 jobs since 2010.
The movement extends to Scotland, where more than 75 organizations, including trade unions and environmental charities, plan to march down the Royal Mile in Edinburgh on November 14. These protesters are demanding a formal public consultation on at least 23 proposed facilities, including a campus in Dumfries and Galloway that would be the largest in the world. Public Finance Minister Hannah Mary Goodlad responded by stating the Scottish Government will publish new planning guidance by the end of the year, though she maintained that existing systems already allow for community involvement.
