Friends of the Earth Ireland have joined over 42 groups across Europe in calling for days of action demanding a moratorium on data centres.

Groups across Europe Unite for Day of Action Demanding Moratorium on Data Centres: Dublin Demonstration on 7th Novemb

Friends of the Earth Ireland in collaboration with community groups facing big data centre build out will hold a demonstration on Saturday, November 7th in Dublin city centre calling on the national government to urgently halt new developments and issue a moratorium to pause data centre expansion on climate, affordability and energy security grounds. Data centres now use 23% of all electricity in Ireland, a figure which is unprecedented globally, and is considered by the U.N. to be a “cautionary tale” when it comes to data centre development.

The demonstration in Dublin is part of a European wide call for a moratorium with over 42 groups from ten countries participating so far including 10 groups in Ireland (1) (2). 

Rosi Leonard, Data Centre Campaign Lead with Friends of the Earth Ireland commented: 

We’re proud to join other countries and communities who are all asking the same question as us: who benefits from massive data centre build out, and who pays the price? This November we want to send a unified message to the Government that a moratorium on new data centres in Ireland should be common sense. Our grid is creaking, our bills are the most expensive in Europe, we are dependent on imported fossil fuels, we’re missing our climate goals, and workers’ rights are being undermined by expensive gambles on AI. It doesn’t have to be like this.

Niamh Fitzgibbon from Kildare Data Centre Awareness commented: 

It's our land, our water, our electricity and our health. Groups everywhere are facing runaway large-scale data centre development. Too often each community fights this alone, but the same issues are showing up everywhere, from Kildare to the rest of the world. Today we're standing together, and if our representatives won't represent us, we'll represent ourselves.

Jane O’Brien from Kilmeadan Against Industrialisation commented: 

We’re angry that our community is being asked to pay the price for big tech’s profits. But we take a lot of hope in seeing other communities around Ireland and Europe are all facing the same thing and getting organised. We’re proud to march with other groups in Dublin on November 7th.

Sinéad Sheehan from Futureproof Clare commented:

Futureproof Clare is one of many environmental justice groups in Ireland campaigning against data centres.  We are concerned that the Liquified Natural Gas terminal planned by the government on the Shannon Estuary in County Clare is mainly for supplying gas for Big Tech demand. This is a huge environmental issue that people in the west of Ireland need to contend with because of data centres, for very little or no return.

Friends of the Earth Ireland is calling on the Government to enact a moratorium on new data centres due to the threat they pose to energy security, climate goals, clean energy targets, affordability, and locking in demand for new fossil fuels. A recent poll commissioned by the Irish Times revealed there was widespread public support for a halt to new data centre developments with 61% of respondents agreeing with a moratorium on new connections.(3) Coordinators of the demonstration are inviting all community groups, civil society organisations, unions and political parties to join on November 7th.

Notes:

1. The European day of action is being coordinated by a network of groups across Europe including Global Action Plan, Green Web Foundation, Leitmotiv, Tu Nube Seca Mí Rio, Spanish Strategic Litigation Group, Friends of the Earth Ireland, Data 4 Good, APRS Scotland, Equinox Initiative for Racial Justice. A full list of groups and partners coordinating the day of action can be found here  So far groups have registered their support from Belgium; Denmark; France; Germany; Ireland; Italy; Netherlands; Poland; Spain; and the United Kingdom with groups from more countries expected to participate. 
2. Groups who have signed up in support within Ireland so far include Friends of the Earth Ireland; An Taisce; BOLD Climate Action; Climate Justice Universities Union; Not Here Not Anywhere; Kildare Data Centre Awareness; Futureproof Clare; Kilmeadan Against Industrialisation, with more set to be added. 
3. https://www.irishtimes.com/politics/2026/09/26/majority-of-people-want-data-centre-construction-to-stop-irish-timesipsos-ba-poll-shows/
4. Research published this year has also shown how data centres have cost Irish households over €715 million in added electricity costs (3) over the past decade. https://www.friendsoftheearth.ie/news/the-cost-of-data-centre-growth-in-ireland-households-paid-an-estimated-715-million-more-in-electrici/
5. The socio-economic cost of data centre expansion has also been highlighted again in recent research showing the toll they have taken on shared electricity infrastructure, with one ESB substation in West Dublin seeing its entire electrical capacity swallowed up by data centre demand alone. https://www.irishtimes.com/environment/2026/01/15/single-data-centre-comsumes-10-times-electricity-of-nearby-pharma-plant-employing-2000/