
45-acre South Wexford farm for auction guiding at €16k/acre
Coming under the hammer on Tuesday, July 1, at the Ballinaboola Hotel outside New Ross in County Wexford is a 45-acre quality farm at Ballinruane – 16km to the south of the auction site.
The auction will also be accepting bids online but the experience of auctioneers around the country is that when a hybrid auction such as this takes place, the main action is normally concentrated on the floor rather than via the internet.
In any case, what's on offer is sure to entice – a substantial quantity of good grassland in a year when land parcels of this size have been scarce, according to selling agent Anne Carton of New Ross-based P N O'Gorman Auctioneers.
'It's all in permanent pasture… four to five units in very good condition with water laid on,' says Anne.
'It's an ideal size and surrounded by a couple of dairy farms. It was an outside farm and it's being sold as an executor sale. There's been good interest, so hopefully it will go well.'
The price guide is in the region of €16,000/acre. It's one that should be achievable on the day.
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Wexford tillage farm fetches almost €27,000/acre at auction

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Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Irish Examiner
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In this Q&A interview, Pat Lardner, CEO of Irish Funds, outlines some of the factors driving new jobs growth in the sector, as well as looking at how actions to support the sector and to boost people's financial literacy can be of huge benefit to the Irish economy. How have remote and flexible work options boosted talent retention in the sector? The Irish funds and asset management industry was quick to adapt to remote working during the pandemic, and that agility has paid long-term dividends. Today, flexible and hybrid work models are commonplace. The industry's ability to incorporate regional talent has significantly increased, with employment outside of Dublin now accounting for almost 46% of the total workforce. This expansion across the country, which supports balanced regional development has deepened the talent pool and improved retention. Flexible work has also been a critical factor in supporting gender inclusion. 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RTÉ News
2 days ago
- RTÉ News
Inside the face scanning tech behind social media age limits
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Companies using the software often set a higher buffer age to account for the technology's limits; however this increases the risk of wrongly restricting access of some adults. Dublin social media star Edel Lawless explained to Prime Time what happened when she failed a digital age test on TikTok. The platform requires users who want to broadcast live to verify that they are over 18. After being directed to take a live selfie to prove her age, Ms Lawless, who was 18 at the time, told the programme she was rejected. "I think my baby face didn't allow it. I don't think it's a very good way of estimating someone's age." The now 19-year-old had to submit a photo of herself holding her age card before she could proceed. Yoti contends that notwithstanding false negatives or positives in its age estimations, the vast majority of people benefit from ease of use and not having to submit documents to prove their age. It is also very hard to game or trick the system, Mr Tombs said. The live selfie process limits the potential for AI generated images to be used while the software is also sophisticated enough to recognise if someone is wearing a mask or other disguise. But digital rights campaigners have warned that age estimation systems can contain biases. "It's a normalisation of biometric surveillance that we've worked against for many years," Ella Jakubowska, Head of Policy at European Digital Rights told the programme. Biometric software has been historically trained on white, male faces. In 2021, Facebook apologised when an AI image tool was identifying black men as non-human primates. Yoti insists the technology has improved in the last decade and the 125,000 images it bases its model on cover all ages, three skin types and both genders. The company's own test results show that although there are differences in the age estimation between different groups "they are not material," according to Mr Tombs. 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A similar law should be considered here, Tánaiste Simon Harris has said, describing smartphone use as a "ticking time bomb". The Irish Medical Organisation also debated a motion to consider such a move at its recent AGM. But there isn't consensus on the merits or efficacy of such bans. In the UK, the Technology Secretary Peter Kyle has backed away from following the Australian path. Campaigners argue social media platforms themselves should police their content and algorithms to be less harmful for everyone, not just children. "It feels like a really unsophisticated solution," Ella Jakubowska of European Digital Rights told Prime Time. "Any sledgehammer approach that tries to cut young people out of the internet is missing the point that there's a lot we need to do to keep all people safe from platforms. Imposing age gates on internet access will disempower both adults and children, she argued. "All the evidence shows that young people are the most resilient and the most able to deal with online harms when they have a parent or guardian or other adult figure that they can confide in that helps them navigate the internet safely and in ways that build resilience, not just shutting them out," Ms Jakubowska said. Distinct from any potential social media ban, next month the first age assurance regulations will come into force in Ireland requiring video sharing platforms that allow pornographic or gratuitously violent content to have "effective" age assurance. Self-declaration by users will not be accepted. However, as most social media companies that are based here already prohibit such content and most adult sites are based outside of the country, users are unlikely to see a significant impact in the short term. Europe, meanwhile, is moving towards more harmonised age assurance standards with some countries like Germany and France already requiring stricter age verification. The Commission has recently recommended that the highest form of age assurance – age verification with documentation – is necessary in certain cases such as alcohol, pornographic content, or gambling. A digital identity wallet is being developed to let users verify their age without directly sharing personal information with online platforms. The plan is for identity documents to be securely stored in an EU-wide app. The large tech companies are also steeling themselves for a battle over how future age assurance requirements are enforced. Social media platforms have argued that such verification should be done at the app-store or operating system level, rather than by each individual app. Digital rights campaigners remain concerned about the use of facial scanning generally. Oppressive States have historically exploited data putting campaigners and members of marginalised groups, among others, at risk, Ella Jakubowska said. "I'm aware that we can sometimes sound as if we're being a bit cynical or doomsdayish but it's legitimate to be aware of the potential of creating mass surveillance systems," Ms Jakubowska said. Beyond social media Regulators are also now grappling with broader questions around AI and what decisions it should be allowed to make. Should AI be permitted to decide who gets a job or a bank loan? Or what about who is served in a retail store? Ireland's largest shop-fitting company expects new age estimation screens to be in stores within months. At the showroom of Mercury Retail Services, MD Garry Doyle explained how vape stores are among the potential clients of the new technology. "With the growth of age-restricted sales it's really important that a retailer is able to give their staff the tools they need to be able to make the decisions at the till," Mr Doyle explained. A tablet screen is positioned facing customers to scan their face and indicate if they meet a set age threshold. When I tested the system, it accurately verified that I was over 21, confirming this with a green light after scanning my face. It gives business owners a tool to show they are taking their responsibilities seriously, Mr Doyle said. "It's not saying you can't serve this customer. It's helping the retailer make an informed decision of whether they need to ask for identification." Contending that Ireland is a long way away from a purely autonomous 24-hour store, Mr Doyle added: "I don't think you'll ever get to a situation whereby you are replacing shop staff with AI because retail in Ireland is about the experience and relationships that retailers have with their customers." As biometric age estimation technologies become increasingly integrated into online platforms and everyday interactions, governments and regulators will be tasked with navigating a complex and delicate balance - ensuring that measures designed to protect vulnerable users, particularly children, do not come at the expense of individual privacy, civil liberties, and digital freedom.


The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- The Irish Sun
‘Jet of the future' dubbed The Phantom boasts see-through cabin, fuel-slashing AI design…& could take to skies VERY soon
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