Nama land for houses, academics write to Zuckerberg and don’t sweat your holidays

Business Today: the best news, analysis and comment from The Irish Times business desk

Pilita Clark says don’t worry if you can’t go on a skiing holiday.
Pilita Clark says don’t worry if you can’t go on a skiing holiday.

State-backed Nama controls enough land to build at least 20,000 homes on but most of it remains undeveloped, according to new figures released by the Department of Finance. Eoin-Burke Kennedy has the details.

More than 250 international academics have signed an open letter to Meta (formerly Facebook) chief executive Mark Zuckerberg expressing concern that the company's internal research on potential harms caused by its platforms to adolescents is poorly designed and too secretive. Karlin Lillington reports.

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, or up a ski slope, or off to any other holiday spot this December, along comes Omicron, writes Pilita Clark, who advises us that missing out on a holiday is not the end of the world.

Irish insuretech platform nSurely has closed a €535,000 early-stage funding round with former Irish Life managing director Gerry Hassett and ex-Linked Finance chief executive Niall Dorian among the backers. Charlie Taylor reports.

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Austrian privacy campaigner Max Schrems has accused Ireland's data protection commissioner of improperly lobbying other European regulators over a contested data collection policy used by Facebook. Derek Scally reports from Berlin.

The owner of a chain of nine upscale hairdressing salons in Dublin claims his business has fallen by "30-40 per cent" since further restrictions were imposed on the hospitality sector in recent weeks. Mark Paul reports.

AIB is launching a new €500 million fund to back the development of up to 3,000 social houses. It is a follow-on from a previous €300 million fund, which has been deployed a year ahead of schedule and has financed the construction of 2,000 units, writes Mark Paul.

In his column Eoin Burke-Kennedy wonders if we would do well to emulate the Norwegians and treat our corporate tax they way they treat their oil revenue.

In our weekly opinion slot consultant economist Tom Ferrisargues that there is a better chance government departments will make more serious efforts in their regulatory work if they know the results of that work is going to be published.

Prices are rising for businesses and consumers. But what will central banks do in response to the surging rate of inflation? Economics correspondent Eoin Burke-Kennedy explains on ourInside Business podcast why concerns about inflation are mounting across the euro zone and elsewhere. Then technology reporter Ciara O'Brien tells us about the departure of Twitter chief executive Jack Dorsey and what it means for the future of the social media company.

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Conn Ó Midheach

Conn Ó Midheach

Conn O Midheach is Assistant Business Editor - Digital of The Irish Times