Planned €1.5bn data centre in Ennis at risk due to 'bureaucratic inertia'
Gordon Deegan
The operator of the planned €1.5 billion data campus for Ennis has claimed that the project is being put at risk due to "bureaucratic inertia".
An Bord Pleanála granted planning permission to Art Data Centres Ltd for the scheme in April 2024, comprising six data halls covering 145 acres or 1.3m sq ft on lands adjacent to the Tulla Rd on the eastern outskirts of Ennis near Junction 13 on the M18 motorway connecting Galway to Limerick.
The planned data centre has been stalled by a High Court judicial review challenge by opponents of the data centre, Colin Doyle, Friends of the Irish Environment CLG, Futureproof Clare, Martin Knox and Christine Sharp.
However, last month the High Court ruled that an issue concerning a Leisler bat is not sufficient to halt contentious plans for the new 200MW data centre campus.
The High Court action remains before the High Court with an issue concerning a derogation licence still to be decided upon.
On Friday, the chief executive of Art Data Centres Ltd, Tom McNamara, expressed “serious frustration” at what he called “continued delays by EirGrid” in issuing a grid connection for the proposed AI-focused data centre campus in Ennis.
The project has backing from international investors, including ongoing discussions with end s in the cloud and AI spaces.
Art Data Centres has now written to Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke TD on foot of this week's Action Plan on Competitiveness proposal to provide policy certainty regarding data centres and plans for connecting large energy s.
Mr McNamara said: “We have a project of national importance. Almost all legal, technical, and environmental requirements are met. Yet after eight years of effort, the project is being put at risk due to bureaucratic inertia.”
Mr McNamara said: "I am writing to the Minister for Enterprise, Peter Burke, and relevant Cabinet colleagues to intervene urgently to ensure the project’s grid connection proceeds.
Mr McNamara said that the project meets the needs concerning regional development, attracting AI investment and delivering climate-resilient infrastructure, and must be ed”.
He said: “Delay is not a neutral act—it actively damages Ireland’s international reputation.”
Art Data Centres has been engaging with EirGrid since 2017, first applying for connection in 2019.
A company spokesman said that despite confirmed available capacity at Ennis and extensive engagement under the CRU’s 2021/124 guidance, EirGrid has not progressed a connection offer.
At an Ennis Chamber of Commerce lunch last year, Taoiseach Micheál Martin publicly ed and referred to the project in 2024
He said, “AI is coming, and the demand for data will grow exponentially. We have to facilitate that. For areas outside of Dublin, which haven’t had this sort of investment, we can’t deny them that opportunity. I understand the grid capacity is there.”
Asked to respond to Mr McNamara’s comments, a spokesman for EirGrid said that “for reasons of confidentiality, EirGrid does not comment on individual customers, connection agreements or applications”.
