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National strategy needed to keep online spending in Ireland

According to the Digital Hub’s annual report for 2011, 75 percent of money spent online goes overseas.

THE DIGITAL HUB has said we need a national digital strategy to ensure some of the €20 million people spend online each year stays in Ireland.

Commenting on the publication of its annual report for 2011, Chairman of the Digital Hub Development Agency (DHDA) Leonard Donnelly said a key challenge for the coming years would be to persuade Irish consumers to favour domestic companies for their online purchases.

“Ireland currently spends close to €4 billion online each year, but 75 per cent of that goes overseas, mostly to the UK,” he said.

“The Digital Hub has projected that, by 2017, the online consumptive economy will be valued at €21 billion in Ireland. If the trend for favouring overseas outlets for online purchases continues, however, the revenue loss to the domestic productive sectors will be immense.”

According to Donnelly, Ireland’s biggest competitors in digital innovation are India and the UK.

“Ireland must mirror – and surpass – what’s happening in India and the UK to establish its position as a digital powerhouse,” he said. “We have been groping around in the dark for the past decade about fashioning ourselves as an ‘innovation island’.”

Donnelly said the DHDA has been working closely with the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources to develop a strategy to ensure Irish companies can strengthen their position in the online marketplace.

However Sinn Féin TD Peadar Tóibín said potential for economic growth in this sector was “being squandered by government inaction”.

“During this government’s watch the ranking of this state is now at its lowest ever position in the global table for download and upload speeds,” he said. “Yet the costs of broadband for business and consumers are well above average.”

He said the government needs to act now and start investing in infrastructure before we fall further down the broadband league tables.

Eighteen new companies joined The Digital Hub in 2011 bringing the total number of companies to 70, employing over 800 people.

Read: Europe’s largest software company creating 250 new jobs in Ireland>
Read: New Sky phone and broadband services to create 900 Irish jobs>

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    Mute Dave O'Shea
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    Apr 18th 2012, 8:49 AM

    Now here’s one for ya….. THE DAIL RETURNS TODAY……. Great f*****g job…….

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    Mute Francis Devenney
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    Apr 18th 2012, 9:12 AM

    finally?

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    Mute David Sheridan
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    Apr 18th 2012, 9:25 AM

    Haha, gotta love the Americans! Got a problem?? Blow it up!

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    Mute Tom Colgan
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    Apr 18th 2012, 8:54 AM

    Explosives jaysus that wouldnt be a pretty site! Instant burgers to eat ::P

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    Mute KarlMarcks
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    Apr 18th 2012, 9:03 AM

    You mean at the Dail?

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    Mute conor hickey
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    Apr 18th 2012, 9:10 AM

    The Dail should be located in that village in Austria.

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    Mute Austin Gannon
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    Apr 18th 2012, 9:14 AM

    The way this government are going on, we will all (our most of us anyway) be just working to pay taxes etc to them, and haver nothing left for ourselves.

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    Mute Dave O'Shea
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    Apr 18th 2012, 9:39 AM

    all my annual income pays bills and taxes…… part time work is my lifeline and I am a lucky one as I am single

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    Mute Andrea Rock Massey
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    Apr 18th 2012, 10:34 AM

    Burlars are the scum of the earth, off with their heads..

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    Mute Gerard Murphy
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    Apr 18th 2012, 10:41 AM

    Burglars on the other hand, are kind, gentle folk.

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    Mute Gerard Murphy
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    Apr 18th 2012, 9:31 AM

    “There is more to the internet than “puppies, porn and piracy”, Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte has said”
    Should be Minister for alliteration….

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    Mute Gerry Power
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    Apr 18th 2012, 1:56 PM

    look at the dail they take more than any burlars and care less

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