Over 1.6m Irish people now use smartphones

An estimated 1.2m Irish people are expected to own a tablet computer by the end of the year, as tablet ownership has doubled in the last six months.

According to the latest biannual Eircom Household Sentiment Survey, Irish people are now embracing technology in almost every facet of their lives.

The study found Irish people now have a desire to stay connected to the internet 24/7, with almost 1m people admitting to checking emails first thing in the morning.