Subsidising energy bills of data centres

Data centres are owned by some of the richest corporations on the planet

Sir, – The fact that data centres are going to be able to avail of the €10,000 a month Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme (TBESS) is absolutely scandalous. People suffering from energy poverty will be paying to subsidise the enormous energy consumption of data centres owned by some of the richest corporations on the planet. These data centres have driven up electricity prices for families. Collectively they use more electricity than all the rural homes in the State. Yet the Government has designed its new TBESS scheme in such a way that they will be able to get €10,000 a month from public funds. The scheme must be amended immediately to exclude data centres from having their electricity costs subsidised by the public. – Yours, etc,

PAUL MURPHY TD,

People Before Profit/Solidarity,

Dublin South-West,

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Leinster House,

Dublin 2.