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Ireland and the Internet: Crunching the numbers

How many people in Ireland do you think have never been online?

THE GOVERNMENT HAS just launched the first phase of its National Digital Strategy, with its main aims to get more businesses and more people online over the next two years.

The report, commissioned by Minister for Communications Pat Rabbitte, threw up some surprising statistics about Ireland and its relationship with the Internet.

  • Each year, €3.7 billion is spent by Irish consumers online.
  • An average person spends €1,400 a year (or €116 per month) online.
  • Of that figure, 70 per cent leaks out of Ireland’s economy.
  • 577,220 adults in Ireland have never used the Internet.
  • 27 per cent of adults use the Internet less than once a week.
  • Only 3 per cent of over-75s use the Internet.
  • About one in every five households do not have an Internet connection set up.
  • Six out of ten Irish adults shop online. All of them plan on increasing that expenditure.
  • 81 per cent search the Internet for the best deals or information before purchasing.
  • At least 30,000 small businesses in Ireland do not trade online.
  • Research has shown that the value of digital to Ireland’s GDP last year was €7.1 billion.
  • The digital sector grows 10 times as fast as the economy as a whole.
  • In the UK, forecasts suggest one third of retail sales will be online in less than ten years.

Related: Government to give money to small businesses to get them online

Read: Judge: Apple conspired to raise prices on e-books

More: Here’s what electromagnetic force field from a laptop looks like

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43 Comments
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    Mute Brian Dunne
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    Mar 30th 2019, 8:45 AM

    Fully completed early 2020?? Another year of it. Soul destroying every day

    100
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    Mute Joe Brennan
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    Mar 30th 2019, 9:02 AM

    @Brian Dunne: The main work on the M7 is due to finish in 4 weeks. The rest if the work is mainly around the Sallins bypass and the new junction 10 exits

    28
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    Mute ⚡ Seánie ⚡
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    Mar 30th 2019, 6:49 AM

    These boys would have it knocked out and be home within the first night…. https://youtu.be/KrPgXYrNGG4

    36
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    Mute Vocal Outrage
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    Mar 30th 2019, 9:57 AM

    @⚡ Seánie ⚡: except the video says it took them 21 days, and the chaos caused by trying to get 200 excavators up the N7?

    13
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    Mute Stingray Jones
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    Mar 30th 2019, 7:54 AM

    Surely an early April Fools joke? 25km/h is a ridiculously slow speed

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    Mute DJ François
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    Mar 30th 2019, 8:21 AM

    @Stingray Jones: it is to do with worker safety.

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    Mute Finbarr Barry
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    Mar 30th 2019, 9:39 AM

    @Stingray Jones: advisory only… Not enforced… Limit is still 60 km/h

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    Mute Vocal Outrage
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    Mar 30th 2019, 9:59 AM

    @Finbarr Barry: from the article ‘speed limit in force of 25km/hr’. Key words being limit and force, but hey, it’s your speeding ticket

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    Mute Ian Breathnach
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    Mar 30th 2019, 10:25 AM

    @Vocal Outrage: Gardai said in yesterdays article it’s not enforceable but is advisory.

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    Mute Vocal Outrage
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    Mar 30th 2019, 10:43 AM

    @Ian Breathnach: about 2 years ago there were roadworks near where I lived, 50km/hr limit during works, temporarily dropped under an advisory limit to 25km/hr for 2 weekends, I got the ticket doing 40km/hr. Strangely enough the judge didn’t agree with your logic of it being un-enforceable, although, he didn’t increase the fine or points

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    Mute Finbarr Barry
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    Mar 30th 2019, 3:11 PM

    @Vocal Outrage: doubt you went to court as there must be a bye law to prosecute… Advisable speed limits do not have bye laws enacted

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    Mute Terry McSweeney
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    Mar 30th 2019, 3:43 PM

    @Finbarr Barry: if not enforceable you could still be done for dangerous driving

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    Mute Vocal Outrage
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    Mar 30th 2019, 7:16 PM

    @Finbarr Barry: ah, so you counter-argument is to simply call me a liar, very mature. Perhaps, just perhaps, you don’t understand the law as well as you think?

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    Mute kokonutter
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    Mar 30th 2019, 8:01 AM

    Ah here

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    Mute Humphrey Harold Haddington
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    Mar 31st 2019, 1:09 PM

    @kokonutter: i agree

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    Mute Michael Kavanagh
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    Mar 30th 2019, 10:00 AM

    Are some speed freaks (being polite) here seriously suggesting they want to barrel through busy roadworks ?

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    Mute Finbarr Barry
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    Mar 30th 2019, 8:50 AM

    25 km/h is an advisory… The speed limit is still 60 km/h

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    Mute Dean Anderson
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    Mar 30th 2019, 9:21 AM

    @Finbarr Barry: are you sure though? the traffic is getting diverted off onto sliproads &even on motorways sliproads have 50km /h speed limits.so 25 on a sliproad with roadworks going on sounds about right

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    Mute Finbarr Barry
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    Mar 30th 2019, 9:43 AM

    @Dean Anderson: The Minister for Transport issued a direction to road authorities under section 95(16) of the Road Traffic Act 1961 in February 2007 with respect to a range of non-regulatory traffic signs. Chapter 8 of the Traffic Signs Manual was superseded by an updated version which allowed for the erection of signage stating a cautionary speed limit in the vicinity of Road Works. These speed limits are purposely different from legal speed limits and always display a speed limit that ends in 5, for example 35 km/h (22 mph), 45 km/h (28 mph), etc. They are not legally binding on drivers but it is likely that in the event of a road traffic accident that the issue of if they were being complied with, would be taken into account.

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    Mute Vocal Outrage
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    Mar 30th 2019, 10:01 AM

    @Finbarr Barry: again, use of the word limit, it would be termed something like maximum advisory speed, but a limit is just that, a limit

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    Mute Colm O'Sullivan
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    Mar 31st 2019, 7:25 AM

    No diversion in place this morning at 4am when I travelled that stretch. Sailed through it.

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