Google Secures Planning Approval for South Dublin Data Centre Expansion

After more than two years of dispute, An Coimisiún Pleanala granted planning permission for Google Ireland Limited to expand its south Dublin data centre at Grange Castle Business Park, reversing a refusal by South Dublin County Council that cited insufficient electricity network capacity and lack of on-site renewable power. Google appealed, arguing that it had already secured a grid connection from EirGrid in 2021 and that the council was not the appropriate body to assess network capacity.

The approval is conditional on securing power purchase agreements before development begins, using renewable fuel for backup generators, and implementing staff incentives for public transport, cycling and walking, as well as ecological enhancements identified in the environmental impact assessment. The extension could generate up to 50 permanent jobs and hundreds of construction roles, but the ruling may be challenged in judicial review. The decision arrives amid growing public and political scrutiny of data centres' electricity use, which now accounts for nearly a quarter of Ireland's consumption, and a recent poll showing strong public support for pausing such projects.