Ireland above EU average for internet use

A high proportion of Irish people are using the internet compared to the European average, a new report has found.

Eurostat's 'Internet use in Households and by Individuals in 2011' report found that 21% of Irish people aged between 16 and 74 have never used the internet, compared to an EU average of 24%.

Sweden has the lowest number of people who have never used the internet at 5%, and Romania the highest at 54%.

In the first quarter of 2011, 78% of Irish households had access to the internet, compared with 50% in the first quarter of 2006.

The share of Irish households with broadband internet connections rose, from 13% in 2006 to 65% in 2011, a little below the EU average of 68%.