Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 January 2026
422. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the average number of people employed in a data centre, post construction, long-term in the data centre itself, in the hinterland and remotely, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5452/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraData centres represent essential infrastructure within Ireland’s modern digital economy, enabling online services used daily by citizens, businesses and the public sector, as well as supporting remote working arrangements. Data centres also support sectors in Ireland that depend on data centres for delivery of their core functions. While the majority of Ireland’s data centres are concentrated in the Greater Dublin Area, a smaller number also operate in regional locations.
As stated in the Government’s Large Energy User Action Plan (LEAP) published on 13 January, companies that operate data centres in Ireland, whether as part of their own infrastructure requirements or as a provider of services to other users, account for approximately 21,000 direct employees. This is according to IDA data in respect of information provided by its client companies within the most recent Annual Employment Survey published in February 2025. It does not include likely additional employment in respect of data centres operated by non-IDA client companies or in respect of the construction of data centres in Ireland.
As noted in LEAP, the expertise that has been developed by indigenous enterprise around data centres has given Irish data centre construction, engineering, design and electrical specialist subsectors a significant global advantage, supporting indigenous employment and exports. Likewise, critical digital infrastructure, such as data centres, have anchored other valuable activities in the Irish economy and strengthened Ireland’s position as a strategic knowledge-intensive regional hub, including within the ICT sector, which accounted for around 180,000 employees during Q3 2025.
To further our understanding of the economic impacts of data centres in Ireland, my Department has commissioned an independent study which will look to examine:
• the economic impacts associated with data-centre construction and operation;
• the economic impacts across sectors that rely on data centres for their operation; and
• the role of data centres in attracting and retaining foreign direct investment.
This work is well advanced and is expected to conclude in Q1 2026.
