‘Hidden datacentre tax’ costing Irish households millions, report says
Listen to Course
0:00
0:00
EN: The Present Participle (V-ing) as a Resultative Clause: The phrase 'pushing up...' acts as a participle phrase that describes the result or consequence of the main action (using 22% of electricity).
The heavy rain lasted for hours, causing floods in the city.
EN: Possessive Nouns: 'Ireland's' uses an apostrophe followed by 's' to indicate ownership or belonging to the country of Ireland.
The company's profits increased this year.
EN: Ireland has become a major hub for European datacentres due to its cool climate and favorable tax laws. However, this has led to significant strain on the national power grid, sparking public debate about energy equity.
EN: The Present Perfect Continuous tense (have/has been + verb-ing) is used to describe an action that started in the past and has continued up to the present moment, often emphasizing the duration or ongoing nature of the activity.
The company has been developing new software for three years.
EN: The word 'that' functions here as a conjunction introducing a noun clause, which serves as the direct object of the reporting verb 'says'. It connects the main statement to the specific information being reported.
The weather forecast says that it will rain tomorrow.
EN: Ireland has become a major hub for global technology companies' datacentres due to favorable tax laws and its cool climate, which helps reduce cooling costs for servers. However, as this sentence highlights, the high energy demand of these facilities is now causing public debate regarding energy costs for ordinary citizens.
EN: The Present Participle ('growing') used as an adjective: The word 'growing' is the -ing form of the verb 'grow'. Here, it functions as an adjective to describe the continuous increase in the number of datacentres.
The growing demand for electric cars is changing the industry.
EN: Possessive Nouns with 's: To show ownership or relationship, we add 's to a noun. In this sentence, 'Ireland's' and 'country's' indicate that the number and the electricity belong to Ireland.
The company's profit increased significantly last year.
EN: Ireland has become a major hub for global technology companies due to favorable tax laws and its strategic location. This has led to a massive concentration of datacentres, which are energy-intensive, sparking national debates about energy security and environmental impact.
EN: The comparative structure 'more than' is used to compare two quantities. In this context, 'this' (the electricity used by datacentres) is compared to the total electricity used by homes.
The cost of the repair was more than the price of a new phone.
EN: The past participle 'combined' acts as a post-positive modifier, meaning 'when added together'. It follows the noun phrase 'all homes in Irish cities' to indicate a total sum.
Their combined income is enough to buy a house.
EN: The mention of 'Irish cities' highlights the significant concentration of population and energy use in urban areas like Dublin, Cork, and Galway, making the comparison with datacentre energy consumption even more striking.
EN: The phrase 'In comparison' is a transitional adverbial phrase used to introduce a statement that contrasts with what was previously mentioned. It is often followed by a comma.
In comparison, the new model is much more energy-efficient.
EN: Compound Subject: When two or more nouns (United States and the United Kingdom) are joined by 'and', they form a plural subject, requiring a plural verb form ('use' instead of 'uses').
Coffee and tea are popular drinks worldwide.
EN: The sentence highlights a significant disparity in energy consumption. While Ireland is a major hub for tech giants due to tax incentives, the sheer scale of energy use by datacentres there (22%) is vastly disproportionate compared to larger economies like the United States and the United Kingdom (6%), reflecting Ireland's unique position in the global digital infrastructure.
EN: Passive Voice (be + past participle): Used when the action is more important than the person performing it. In this sentence, 'was commissioned' indicates the report received the action.
The new bridge was built by a famous architect.
EN: The preposition 'by' in passive sentences: It is used to introduce the agent (the person or organization) that performed the action.
The book was written by Jill McArdle.
EN: The organizations mentioned, 'Friends of the Earth Ireland' and 'Beyond Fossil Fuels', are prominent environmental advocacy groups in Europe. Their involvement suggests the report focuses on the environmental and economic sustainability of energy policies.
EN: The Present Perfect Tense (have + past participle) is used here to describe an action that started in the past and has continuing effects or relevance to the present moment.
The company has invested millions in renewable energy since last year.
EN: The 'that' clause functions as a noun clause acting as the direct object of the verb 'found', reporting the specific information or discovery of the report.
Scientists found that the ice caps are melting faster than expected.
EN: The term 'drained' is used metaphorically here to suggest that the energy consumption of datacentres is acting like a leak or a siphon, taking wealth and resources away from the broader Irish economy.
EN: The phrase 'because of' is a compound preposition used to introduce a reason. It must be followed by a noun or a noun phrase, not a full clause with a subject and verb.
The flight was delayed because of the heavy rain.
EN: The preposition 'by' is used here to indicate the amount or degree of change. It often follows verbs like 'increase', 'decrease', or 'rise' to show the specific difference.
The price of bread rose by 10 percent this month.
EN: The term 'infrastructure' in this context specifically refers to datacentres, which are a major part of Ireland's modern economy but also a source of public debate due to their high energy demands.
EN: Present Perfect Continuous Tense: Formed with 'have/has been + verb-ing', this tense is used to describe an action that started in the past and is still continuing in the present, emphasizing the duration.
The company has been developing new software for three years.
EN: Noun Clauses with 'that': The word 'that' introduces a subordinate clause that functions as the object of the verb 'argued'. It provides the specific content of what was argued.
Scientists argued that climate change requires immediate action.
EN: The term 'hidden tax' is often used in political and economic discussions to describe costs that are passed on to consumers indirectly, rather than being explicitly labeled as a government tax. In this context, it refers to how increased energy infrastructure costs for datacentres are reflected in higher residential electricity prices.
EN: Reported Speech with 'that' clause: This structure is used to report what someone said. The verb 'said' is followed by a 'that' clause which functions as the object of the sentence, containing the reported information.
He said that the meeting was canceled.
EN: Modal verb 'should': Used here to express a recommendation or a strong probability that something serves as a lesson or example.
This experience should be a lesson for everyone.
EN: The mention of 'Europe' in this context highlights Ireland's role as a major hub for global tech companies within the European Union, making its domestic energy issues a potential precedent for other member states.
EN: The gerund phrase 'letting big technology companies expand datacentres without controls' acts as the subject of the noun clause. A gerund (verb + -ing) functions as a noun, allowing an entire action to be treated as a single conceptual entity.
Eating healthy food improves your energy levels.
EN: The verb 'explain' is followed by a 'that' clause, which functions as the direct object. This structure is commonly used in reported speech to convey information or reasons provided by a speaker.
He explained that the project would be delayed by two weeks.
EN: In this context, 'the continent' refers specifically to mainland Europe, excluding the islands of Ireland and the United Kingdom. This is a common British and Irish English usage where 'the Continent' signifies the rest of Europe.
EN: The phrase 'combined with' acts as a prepositional phrase meaning 'together with' or 'in addition to'. It provides extra information about the subject but does not change the subject from singular to plural. Therefore, the verb 'is' remains singular to agree with 'this situation'.
High inflation, combined with low wages, is causing financial stress.
EN: The relative clause 'who are already struggling' uses the relative pronoun 'who' to provide more information about the noun 'people'. This is a defining relative clause that identifies which specific group of people is being discussed.
EN: The mention of 'fossil gas' (often called natural gas) reflects current environmental debates in Europe. As the continent tries to transition to renewable energy, the continued use of fossil fuels is a sensitive political and economic issue, especially when it impacts the cost of living for average citizens.
EN: The Present Perfect Tense (have + past participle) is used here to describe an action that occurred at an unspecified time in the past and has relevance to the current situation.
Scientists have discovered a new species of frog in the Amazon.
EN: The preposition 'from' is used to indicate the origin or the group that the 'representatives' belong to or come from.
The manager received a complaint from a regular customer.
EN: In formal news reporting, 'disputed' is a common professional term used when one party disagrees with a claim or data presented by another, often indicating a conflict between economic interests and environmental concerns.
EN: The Present Perfect Tense (has + past participle) is used here to describe an action that started in the past and has a result or relevance in the present. In this context, 'has boosted' emphasizes the ongoing impact on the economy.
The new policy has improved the city's air quality.
EN: A Noun Clause starting with 'that' functions as the direct object of the verb 'said'. It allows the speaker to report a statement or fact.
She said that the project was a success.
EN: In business and economic contexts, 'the sector' is a common way to refer back to a specific industry previously mentioned (in this case, the datacentre industry). The phrase 'boosted the economy' is a standard journalistic expression used to describe positive financial impact.
EN: The Present Perfect Tense (have/has + past participle) is used here to describe an action that started in the past and continues to be relevant or true in the present. In this context, it shows the government's ongoing stance.
The company has recently expanded its operations to Europe.
EN: Adverb Placement: The adverb 'broadly' is placed between the auxiliary verb 'has' and the main verb 'welcomed' to modify the degree of the action.
The new policy was broadly accepted by the public.
EN: Ireland has become a major hub for European datacentres due to its cool climate and favorable tax laws. This has led to a complex debate between economic growth and energy sustainability, as reflected in the government's supportive stance mentioned in the sentence.
EN: The verb 'call' is used here in a complex transitive structure: 'call + object + object complement'. The object complement (a core part...) renames or describes the object (datacentres).
The critics called the movie a masterpiece.
EN: The Present Perfect tense (have + past participle) is used to describe an action that happened at an unspecified time in the past or has continuing relevance to the present.
Scientists have discovered a new planet.
EN: Ireland has become a major hub for European datacentres due to its favorable corporate tax rates and temperate climate, which helps reduce cooling costs. This has led to a significant debate regarding energy consumption versus economic benefits.
EN: The verb 'deny' is followed by a 'that-clause' which functions as the direct object. This structure is used to state that something is not true.
The company denies that it leaked the customer data.
EN: The word 'hidden' is a past participle used as an adjective to describe the noun 'tax', meaning something that is not immediately visible or obvious.
There are many hidden costs when buying a new car.
EN: In political and economic contexts, a 'hidden tax' refers to costs that are passed on to consumers indirectly, such as through higher utility prices, rather than being a direct government levy.
Key vocabulary words with IPA pronunciation, definitions, example sentences, and interactive quizzes.
Phrases with type tags, bilingual definitions, usage notes, and example sentences.
The amount of money a family must pay for services like electricity, gas, and water.
Natural gas used as fuel, which is a non-renewable energy source.
An indirect cost that people have to pay, which is not officially called a tax but functions like one.
To cause something, such as prices or costs, to increase rapidly.