Sinn Fein advocating for data centre build in Derry and protesting them in Republic

The data centre was approved by Derry City Council for the first stage of the Atlantic Hub (now known as Greenscale) development at Foyle Port, in October 2024 - a data centre, and outline permission already approved for an additional three data centres.

The area runs near the River Faughan supplies drinking water around the city and the River Foyle which has special protections; it is also a trans-boundary river.

Each of these data centres will require an estimated 100 megawatt supply of electricity 24/7.

100 megawatts is the equivalent to powering 100,000 homes.

Sinn Fein have been supportive of the construction of the data centre, as have the SDLP.

Department for Infrastructure Minister Sinn Fein MLA Liz Kimmins also rejected calls from Derry City and Strabane District Council for Stormont policy guidance on data centres.

Minister Kimmins confirmed to Derry City Council on July 22, 2025, responsibility for policy and oversight of data centre applications lay with local government.

Sinn Fein Councillor Christopher Jackson serves as a non-executive Harbour Commissioner on the Board of the Foyle Port. His tenure on the board began on March 1, 2020, and has since been reappointed, with his current term extending through February 29, 2028.

Jackson has declared this, but has not excused himself from council duties around the erection of the data centre.

At one point, Jackson likened some of the environmental protests against the centre as "facism".

“If you outline a position and demand everybody to agree on your position, I think that’s called fascism," he said in one council meeting in March last year.

“I don’t believe there are too many people in this chamber who think that is the way forward. The proper process in relation to this [data centres] is the planning process."

Meanwhile, in the Republic, Sinn Fein have been critical of data centre construction.

Lynn Boylan MEP, pointed out that data centres increase electricity costs for families and homes.

“At a time when energy poverty is a reality for so many families, this report must feel like a slap in the face” MEP Boylan said in February.

“Big energy users like data centres are using over 50% of the electricity in Dublin, hoarding grid capacity that could be used to build more badly needed homes, yet they’re contributing a pittance in return for this.

“What’s worse is that just 15% of the Data Centres in Ireland have even given a report on their own energy sustainability – well below the EU average of 36%.

“These data centres are piling pressure onto the grid, but aren’t paying their fair share for what they’re using.

“The government needs to change that. The burden for maintaining and upgrading our grid shouldn’t fall heaviest on the shoulders of households.”

Sinn Féin representatives claimed they had "privileged" information regarding the Foyle Port data centres and dismissed concerns raised directly in the Guildhall by environmental campaigners, according to People Before Profit.

People Before Profit councillor Shaun Harkin told JOE: "Sinn Féin have made "open for business" their main slogan in the Council. Its determination to greenlight the Foyle Port Greenscale data centre without proper scrutiny has been alarming and appears to be totally at odds with their position in the South.

"Potential cost savings resulting from the increased generation of renewable energy are being wiped-out because of data centres.

"Provision of renewable energy in the Council area is being determined by profits and the requirements of data centres, not climate action pledges.

"We need a full and transparent interrogation of data centres in Derry and across Ireland.

"Venture capitalists and tech billionaires are recklessly promoting AI and demanding ever more data centres and access to energy to run them. You can guarantee what is good for billionaire parasites will not be good for Derry, the vast majority of people and the planet."

A Sinn Féin spokesperson said it is the duty of elected councillors to participate in council discussions. 

“The construction or expansion of data centres, like all planning applications, must be subject to the relevant planning processes, including the relevant environmental impact assessments," they said.

“Sinn Féin believes that data centres should produce their own energy or finance production of additional renewable electricity that meet its own energy needs at any given time. This is critical in order to maintain capacity on the electricity grid for homes and businesses to be connected.

“The construction of data centres should never come at the expense of housing or critical transport infrastructure. That is Sinn Féin's position throughout Ireland."