Minister Emer Higgins at the data centre outside Lucan
Government’s first purpose built data centre delivered on time and on budget
The government’s first “purpose-built” data centre, just outside Lucan, is due to be operational from early next year.
The new Government Data Centre at Backweston, on the Dublin-Kildare border, was completed in July 2025 and “was delivered on time and on budget” according to the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation.
On a visit to the site on Wednesday, August 13, Minister of State for Public Procurement, Digitalisation and eGovernment Emer Higgins said the project was a testament to the “skill and dedication of everyone involved”.
“The Backweston shared Government Data Centre is a fantastic example of how NextGenerationEU funding is delivering real, tangible results,” the Fine Gael TD for Dublin Mid West said.
The state-of-the-art building was developed as part of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) under the European Union’s recovery plan, NextGenerationEU.
It will provide secure operations that will future proof the reliable delivery of essential digital services to the public.
Work is progressing on the internal fit-out, which is due to be completed by the end of the year.
Once complete, the migration of services to the new facility is scheduled to begin in early 2026.
The project will “harness the latest and most efficient technologies to ensure that vital Government data is stored in a secure and energy-efficient way, meeting the Government’s technology and energy-saving requirements both now and into the future”, according to Minister Higgins.
“This state-of-the-art facility will give State bodies the ICT infrastructure they need to work more efficiently, streamline processes, reduce duplication and bring greater consistency to how public services are delivered,” she added.
“It will be operational from 2026 onwards, marking a significant step forward in our digital transformation journey, delivering on commitments in the Programme for Government and ultimately helping us to provide better public services to the people of Ireland. I welcome this important progress.”
