Offaly Councillor Says Data Centres Should Pay Their Fair Share

Sinn Féin councillor Aoife Masterson, who represents the Tullamore Municipal District, has criticised a planned increase in electricity network charges, arguing that households should not bear the cost of expanding Ireland’s electricity grid.

In a statement shared on her social media channels, Cllr Masterson said families in Tullamore, Clara and Edenderry are already under financial pressure and claimed the additional €41 increase in electricity network charges, due to come into effect from October, would place a further burden on households.

Cllr Masterson also argued that large data centres should pay a greater share of the cost of upgrading the electricity network, stating that they now consume 23% of Ireland’s electricity. She questioned proposals for further data centre development on former boglands in Offaly, saying local communities had already experienced the loss of jobs following the closure of peat-fired power stations and had not seen the level of replacement employment previously promised.

In her statement, Cllr Masterson said:

“Those driving the greatest demand for expensive upgrades to our electricity network should be paying a fair share of the cost. Not workers, not pensioners, not families.”

She added that Offaly’s bogs are part of the county’s heritage and called on the Government to prioritise the needs of local communities over what she described as the interests of large technology companies.