Data centre lobby and environmental group clash over planning objections
Wednesday 28 October 2026
Friends of the Earth has defended the right of residents to object to data centre developments, responding to claims by Digital Infrastructure Ireland that local opposition is driven by disinformation.
Friends of the Earth has defended community participation in Irish data centre planning decisions following criticism from lobby group Digital Infrastructure Ireland.
Digital Infrastructure Ireland (DII) representative Ronan Kelly told *The Journal* that the sector is facing opposition fuelled by disinformation originating in American politics. Kelly argued that resistance to projects across the country risks harming the Irish economy in the long term.
In response, Friends of the Earth chief executive Deirdre Duffy rejected the comments as an attempt to discredit citizens participating in the statutory planning process. Duffy stated that local communities have a legitimate right to scrutinise large, electricity-intensive developments proposed adjacent to residential areas.
The exchange follows coordinated action by community campaign groups opposed to data centre developments across Dublin, Kildare, Waterford, Mayo, and Clare.