A nationwide protest march over soaring energy costs in Ireland is set to take place outside the Dáil, reports The Mirror.
The demonstration, organised by Friends of the Earth, is scheduled for Tuesday, September 30 — just one week ahead of the Budget announcement.
Irish households are already facing some of the steepest electricity and gas prices in all of Europe, reports The Mirror.
Yet the Government is reducing fuel charges for data centres while providing little to no new support this autumn for struggling families.
Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe has made it clear that the energy credits offered in previous Budgets will not be extended into 2026, despite thousands of households falling into arrears on their electricity bills, reports The Mirror.
Protest organiser Clare O’Connor of Friends of the Earth said: “The Government seems to be prioritising the energy needs of data centres over ordinary people who are simply trying to keep the lights on and stay warm. It’s time to say enough is enough. This Budget is likely to do very little to address the twin crises of energy poverty and climate breakdown. We need to make lots of noise on 30 September to demand that the Government put people before polluters, communities before big corporations and long-term climate solutions over short-term profits,” reports The Mirror.
Electricity use by data centres has soared by 412% since 2015, placing immense strain on Ireland’s power infrastructure.
These centres are consuming massive amounts of fossil fuels and are also drawing on the renewable energy supply that should be reserved for homes and public services, reports The Mirror.
Friends of the Earth argue that this growing demand is contributing to the rising cost of energy for regular consumers.
Clare added: “Households are facing higher network charges this year but the largest energy users aren’t seeing considerable price hikes. Some scenarios in the energy regulator’s current price review even show their prices lowering over time,” reports The Mirror.
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