Granting planning permission for three new Amazon data centres in north Dublin is 'corporate power getting privilege over people', the head of Friends of the Earth has claimed.
The online technology giant plans to build the centres at its campus at Cruiserath Road in Mulhuddart.
Fingal County Council has granted permission for the new centres despite challenges from environmental groups.
The seven year planning permission seeks to develop the three data centre buildings each over two levels.
Amazon offices in Cork are seen in July 2020. Picture by: AG News / Alamy Stock PhotoAn EPA-Industrial Emissions Directive licence will be applied for, and an Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) will also be submitted.
Friends of the Earth CEO Oisin Coughlan told Newstalk the expansion of data centres is disappointing.
"They pose a triple threat: a threat to our energy security, a threat to our pollution limits and a threat to the credibility of this Government on climate and environment," he said.
"They are power monsters; these three that got approval from the council in Fingal would be half the Tarbert Power Station, or almost the whole of the 101 wind turbines in the Mount Lucas Wind Farm.
"If they are using the renewable electricity, or any other electricity, they're pushing the rest of us further to the margins."
'Corporate power getting privilege'
Mr Coughlan said he believes such decisions will make it harder to convince the public to change their habits.
"It's really hard for the Government to turn around to all of us and say [that] we need to start retrofitting our homes, losing our parking spaces, taking public transport because we all need to save fossil fuels and use less power," he said.
"On the other hand [the Government is] saying to these big tech multinationals, Amazon and Google, Microsoft and the rest of them, 'Come here and put all your dating dumping here'".
Mr Coughlan suggested: "This is corporate power getting privilege over people and people power."
He said he believes it is "inevitable" that the decision by Fingal County Council will be appealed to An Bord Pleanála.
"The Council says it is in line with Government policy about data centres, but it's clearly out of line with Government policy about pollution," he added.
Amazon's fulfilment centre at Baldonnell Business Park in Dublin. Image: AmazonAn Amazon Web Services spokesperson told Newstalk: "The proposed development represents a significant investment that will create additional direct, indirect and induced economic and employment benefits, in addition to those that have already been created by AWS.
"As such, it is fully consistent with the Government’s preference, as set out in the Government Statement on the Role of Data Centres, for data centres to be associated with strong economic activity and employment," they said.
The spokesperson added that there is a condition attached to the planning permission for a District Heating Scheme servicing the local area.
District Heating systems use a central heat source and distribute it through super-insulated pipes to customers.
Amazon opened its first office in Ireland back in September 2004.
In April 2006, it opened a Customer Service Centre in Cork and in November 2007 Amazon Web Services (AWS) launched its first infrastructure region outside of the US in Ireland.
It also opened its first fulfilment centre here last September.
