Sir, – It is disappointing to see Ann Delaney (Letters, September 15th) referring to Amazon’s plans [to build a fulfilment centre] in Ireland as “disgusting”.
Quite apart from the problems that Brexit had on many Irish people using Amazon for legitimate business during the pandemic, the physical presence in Ireland (as opposed to any virtual presence for tax purposes) of tech companies providing services and employment is welcomed.
While some tech companies are relatively high consumers of energy, this energy will be consumed wherever they are located, so removing them from Ireland to another location does not reduce their carbon footprint, it just impacts the Irish economy and Irish customers.
In addition to the economic benefits of locating Amazon here, we can regulate how their carbon footprint is managed.
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Ireland is well positioned to meet most of its electricity needs from renewable sources (eventually) and only last night RTÉ covered the story of “waste” energy from such companies being used for community heating schemes following the adoption of such schemes in other EU countries.
To describe this as “disgusting” without offering an alternative vision of how these joint objectives should be met is disingenuous at the very least.
I believe we should be welcoming tech companies that are locating a physical rather than a virtual shell presence to Ireland, and embracing the very real benefits they can bring while regulating them sensibly.
– Yours, etc,
ANDREW DOYLE,
Bandon, Co Cork.