A €500 energy credit for every household in Ireland could be funded from a new levy on electricity used by data centres, under a proposal from People Before Profit.

Speaking at his party’s think-in in Dublin on Thursday, Paul Murphy said People Before Profit would be tabling a motion suggesting a new levy of 20 cent for every kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity used by data centres.

According to Eurostat figures published earlier this year, data centres in Ireland pay an average of 19.1c per kWh for electricity, compared with the 36.8c per kWh paid by households.

The Dublin Southwest TD said that his party’s proposal was designed to “introduce a levy on the usage of electricity by data centres of 20 cent per kWh, which would bring them up to paying the same price as the rest of us.”

People Before Profit said it believes the measure would raise €1.5 billion for the State, which would “immediately” go towards funding a universal €500 energy credit for each household, as well as an additional €500 payment to households where at least one person has a disability.

“It’s a very, very immediate measure to say, the data centres should be paying at least the same price as the rest of us for electricity, and then let’s redirect that money to the people who need it, who are suffering from the cost-of-living crisis,” Murphy said.

The proposed energy credit would not be means-tested. Murphy said the proposed energy credit would go to each household once, so those who own multiple properties would not benefit disproportionately from it.

“This is the simplest, quickest, easiest way to put money in people’s pockets. It’s tried, it’s tested. It’s not without its limitations,” he said.

People Before Profit and Solidarity TDs will be attending protests and demonstrations this weekend against the visit of US president Donald Trump to Doonbeg and Dublin.

Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger, who supported President Catherine Connolly’s successful Áras campaign last year, said Connolly had confirmed during the campaign that she would meet Trump if asked “and I think people accepted that.”

But Coppinger said she believed the President could and should raise concerns with Trump about Gaza, Iran, misogyny, racism and the cost-of-living crisis.

“So I definitely think she can speak. She can say things too. She can release a statement, and I hope that she will, because I think people would expect that now,” Coppinger said.

The one day think-in considered calls for increased taxes on very high earners and greater focus on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.

Cost-of-living measures should be budget priority, say opposition groups