We do know, don't we, that data centres are used for many things that we utterly depend on:
Our banking -- without which we would not be able to plan for the next day/next month/next year/retirement?
Our social welfare payments?
Our tax payments?
Keeping in touch with our loved ones?
Engaging in society in general?
Keeping our homes safe?
etc.
I get that data centres are causing serious issues for Ireland and its electricity supply and that we need a coherent environmental policy to deal with that, but burning down all the data centres without regard for whether we like the full range of consequences is not really a coherent policy.
Data centres are used for some vital purposes, as well a frivolous shite. We need to define what uses fall into the various categories[^1], understand the proportional breakdown for each category and develop a policy to support the continuity of the vital services while discouraging the frivolous shite[^2].
[^1] Large Language Models and their generative AI counterparts being categorised as frivolous shite, in my opinion.
[^2] We could talk about banning it, but you can be assured such a ban would not get through a court challenge.