Irish Examiner view: When will Meta bear its virtual fruit?

Facebook's owner scaled back its real-world plans in Dublin while pouring billions into an attempt to establish a new artificial world, the metaverse

Facebook parent company Meta has reined in its plans for its European HQ at Fibonacci Square in Dublin. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA

News that Facebook's parent company Meta has scaled down its plans for its new European headquarters in Dublin will inevitably be viewed through the prism of its recent difficulties, with some 11,000 job losses announced globally, while it simultaneously pours billions into an attempt to establish a new artificial world to draw us all in.

Meta signed a 25-year lease on the former AIB HQ in Fibonacci Square, but has now instructed agents to sublet parts of it “as part of an ongoing review” of its sites. The company directly employs 3,000 people in Ireland, while a further 6,000 provide operational support services.