Housing and emissions, data protection laws and gamification

To meet its climate targets the State may need to limit the construction of new homes to just 21,000 units a year, significantly below the current construction rate (expected to be 25,000-28,000 this year) and significantly below the 33,000 units envisaged under the Government’s Housing for All strategy, a new report has indicated. Eoin Burke-Kennedy reports.

Creditors have appointed a receiver to one of property developer Greg Kavanagh’s companies in a dispute over a debt. Anne O’Neill, who has taken legal action against Mr Kavanagh, has appointed John Healey of Kirby Healy Chartered Accountants as receiver to Ballycrag Developments Ltd, one of the property developer’s companies. Ms O’Neill appointed the receiver in a dispute over a loan to Ballycrag Developments, secured by a charge over Wynnstay House in Clonskeagh, Dublin, which Mr Kavanagh bought in 2013. Barry O’Halloran has the details.

In her weekly column Karlin Lillington argues that US President Joe Biden’s move to accommodate EU data protection laws doesn’t go far enough.

Gamification, which is generally viewed positively as a way of making boring and repetitive tasks more fun while boosting desired outcomes, has a dark and in some cases sinister side, according to the author of a new book. Adrian Hon, an experienced and successful games designer, says that “with today’s gamification, you are no longer the player, you are being played”. Frank Dillon reports.

C&C’s problems don’t go away with McMahon’s departure

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Don’t put off planning for retirement

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Datalex report must pave way for company to deal with 18% Desmond loans

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Housing Commission’s analysis of the crisis paints a mammoth challenge but falls down on one glaring contradiction

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All over the country, restaurants are being forced to close their doors, unable to function in the current economic climate. Fears are growing that closures within the industry could reach one per day, levels last seen during the recession in 2012. With energy costs continuing to rise and Covid-era supports due to end early next year, what can be done to help the struggling sector?

In this episode of the Inside Business Podcast, chef and restaurateur JP McMahon tells Ciarán Hancock why he decided to close his Galway-based restaurant Tartare in August this year. Citing staffing issues, rising energy prices and wage inflation, McMahon explains there’s a huge level of uncertainty within the industry. “The amount of pressure is unending,” he says.

Statistics anxiety is a very real and uncomfortable phenomenon affecting about 80 per cent of college students. “What this means in practice is that these students have severe difficulties conducting the statistical analysis required for their courses and research theses. And if they fail the statistics modules, they are at risk of dropping out and never graduating,” explains Cleidi Hearn, co-founder of e-learning platform Sunny Numbers, which is designed to help people conquer their numerical demons, to Olive Keogh.

Meta has spent billions of dollars and assigned thousands of employees to make Zuckerberg’s metaverse dream feasible. But Meta’s metaverse efforts have had a rocky start. The company’s flagship virtual-reality game, Horizon Worlds, remains buggy and unpopular, leading Meta to put in place a “quality lockdown” for the rest of the year while it retools the app. Ryan Mac, Sheera Frenkel and Kevin Roose report.

Google is taking its Pixel line seriously. Not only did we just get the new Pixel watch (see review below), the first wearable that Google has put its own name to, but we also got the flagship Pixel 7 Pro smartphone. Ciara O’Brien takes a close look.

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