€35.1m in commercial rates is generated from data centres

SOUTH Dublin County Council has stated that 22.3 per cent of the total commercial rates income in 2026 has been generated from data centres.

This figure is equivalent to €35.1m in commercial rates income, up from €31.3m in 2025 and €28.7m in 2024.

This information was in response to a question raised by Cllr Daniel Loftus at September’s council meeting.

Cllr Loftus asked SDCC for a breakdown of the number of data centres currently in operation in the area, which was revealed to be 32, up from 24 in May 2025.

SDCC has granted permission for 42 data centres in total, “across a number of approved data centre developments.”

Currently, there are eight under construction and planning permission has been granted for another two, which have yet to commence development.

Councillor Loftus repeatedly raised concerns regarding data centres and their growing energy consumption and environmental impact.

“Data centres already account for more than 20 per cent of Ireland’s electricity usage and EirGrid has estimated that Data Centres could account for 30 per cent of Ireland’s energy consumption by 2030.”

South Dublin County Council stated that it is “heavily reliant on the commercial rates income generated by the data centres within its administrative area.”

“Data centres provide a significant source of income and have become an increasingly important source of funding through commercial rates, especially for Local Authorities in the Dublin region.”

Clondalkin has become a popular area for data centres, with another three currently under construction in the Clondalkin Industrial Estate and two within Profile Park, Clondalkin.

As previously reported in The Echo, Echelon, a data centre company, was forced to investigate noise and air pollution at a site in Clondalkin Industrial Estate, following reports of “highly intrusive noise” and black smoke from residents.

A further three data centres are due to be completed at the same site, under the same company.

The other data centres under construction in the SDCC administrative area are located in the M50 Business Park on Ballymount Avenue, with two on Newcastle Road in Lucan.

“In the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, people are paying more for their electricity than Data Centres.

“The council and government must stop rolling out the red carpet for data centres. Their current policy has placed the delivery of housing and transport at risk and has led to energy price hikes for households”, Cllr Loftus stated.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme