Richard Boyd Barrett: Data Centres Profit, Households Pay
Richard Boyd Barrett calls for people affected by the cost of living crisis to join the Affordable Ireland demonstration at the Garden of Remembrance this weekend at 1pm. He challenges the government over why profitable data centres pay far lower electricity rates while households shoulder rising bills ahead of the budget.
Main claim and demand
Richard Boyd Barrett argues that data centres owned by extremely wealthy owners are paying a fraction of the electricity rate paid by ordinary households, effectively shifting costs on to consumers. He urges those suffering from energy, childcare and grocery costs to take to the streets and demand a change in government priorities before the budget.
Government response and evidence
Barrett criticises the government’s amendment to the motion as failing to address the central question of inequity in energy pricing. He cites a credible estimate that a significant share of household electricity bills is driven by data centres drawing large quantities of power.
Wider economic and environmental concerns
The speech connects data centre expansion to a broader national policy that privileges multinationals and tech investment over people and the environment. Barrett warns that much of this infrastructure is being built as part of an AI gamble and that commentators like the Financial Times signal systemic risk and potential calls for bailouts.
Call to action and worker solidarity
Barrett closes by supporting workers who are balloting for strike action and urging public protest at the Garden of Remembrance. He frames the weekend demonstration as a necessary public response to a government he says is putting tech billionaires ahead of ordinary people.
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Right, so I want to start by saying that everybody who is impacted by the cost of living crisis, by the cost of energy, childcare, by the failure of wages to keep pace with the cost of living and inflation, by the cost of groceries and by the inequity that we see highlighted in this motion between those who are suffering as a result of a cost of living crisis and those who are actually profiteering out of a cost of living crisis, those people should get out on the streets this weekend and demand a change in this government's priorities in advance of the budget and those who are doing that will be assembling at the Garden of Remembrance at one o'clock in the Affordable Ireland demonstration and I think the reason they should do it is because despite the fact that the government in response to our motion has a three and a half page amendment explaining why they are not going to accept our motion, fail to answer or address in any serious way or at all the central point of the motion. Namely, why is it that data centres owned by some of the richest people in the world making extraordinary profits are paying half the rate per unit of electricity than ordinary working people and householders who are being hammered with the cost of living. How could that be and why is the government going to maintain that status quo because that in effect means that those who are struggling with paying their energy bills are subsidising the data centres whose owners are making obscene profits when those data centres are directly contributing to the inability of households to pay their bills. We now have a credible estimate that eight and a half percent of your electricity bill is as a result of data centres hoovering up the electricity and making you pay more while they pay half the rate. I mean you couldn't make it up you couldn't make it up but of course it speaks to something wider in this country is because there isn't a cost of living crisis for the big corporations, for the multinationals, for the speculators, for the super rich. They're profiting from the cost of living misery that ordinary people are suffering and this government is maintaining this status quo. Even if it has dire consequences for the environment, for the economic well-being of ordinary people, they are determined to maintain that unjust status quo. But if the plight of people struggling with the cost of living doesn't move this government you should maybe consider what things like the Financial Times are saying because all of this is infrastructure for AI. The Financial Times are now saying that the entire American economy is one big gamble on AI and we're now being told by the AI tech bros that it could destroy humanity. Now by that by the way I mean it's it's scaremongering at one level but anybody seriously looking at it is because they know the AI bubble may be about to burst and they're looking for a bailout. Yet again they're looking for a bailout. So the ordinary people will pay the bill and our economy more than any other is a big gamble on AI and the tech bros and that is a very dangerous thing for the future of our economy. And again ordinary people are picking up the bill. It's obvious the government aren't listening and that they're committed to putting the tech bros and the billionaires before the needs of ordinary people and that is why we need to get out on the streets this weekend and indeed why the workers balloting for strike action are absolutely right to do so.
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