Internet still uncharted territory for one in six Irish adults
One in six Irish adults has never used the internet while more than half of older users are going for months without logging on.
A survey by the Central Statistics Office found that one in nine households has no internet connection, unchanged from last year, but only a small proportion of them, 6%, said that was because there was no broadband in their area.
The biggest group, 40%, said they didn’t need the internet while others said it was because they didn’t have the skills to use it or couldn’t afford to access it.
Of those who do have the internet, daily usage is almost universal among the 16-29 age group, 96% of whom don’t let a day go by without logging on, compared to 33% of the 60-74 age group.
More than half, 52%, of this older age group said they hadn’t used the internet at all in the three months prior to being interviewed.
The findings have implications for the way essential services are transacted as state agencies, health services and financial institutions make it increasingly difficult for people to engage with them any other way than online.
The survey found marked differences in the way the internet is accessed with wealthy households far more likely to have fixed broadband in their homes, possibly in addition to mobile broadband, while low-income households are more likely to rely solely on mobile broadband.
Geography also plays a role: 90% of households in the Dublin region have fixed broadband compared to 69% and 67% of households in the border and midland regions.
Those with fixed broadband use the internet most frequently with 78% online at least several times a day.
Internet use at home is primarily for finding out about goods and services, next for access to email and thirdly for social networking and reading news. When it comes to online spending, the most common purchases are clothes and sports goods, holiday accommodation and other travel arrangements such as tickets and car hire.
Of wealthy householders, 60% bought goods online compared to 47% of those on low income. Other internet activity also differs according to household income with 84% of wealthy homes using online banking compared to 57% of low- income homes and wealthy people almost three times more likely to book an appointment with a health practitioner online.
More than half of all internet users questioned said they obtained information from public bodies and public services online and 43% of them downloaded official forms online.
Almost half of internet users are converts to the cloud, using the internet to store files electronically.
A separate report from the CSO shows the number of births fell 5% in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period last year while deaths rose 2.3%.
Heart disease and stroke were the main causes of death followed by cancer.
Deaths by suicide were recorded at the rate of more than five a week and there were 55 deaths of infants under four weeks old.
The report also shows that babies are most likely to be born to unmarried parents in Co Waterford where 57.7% of babies had parents who were not married or in a civil partnership. Those most likely to be born in marriage are in Dún Laoghaire- Rathdown where only 23.4% of births were to parents who were not married.
