The first comprehensive survey of Internet usage shows that the vast majority of Irish users are male, urban-based, professional and well educated.

The survey of over 2,300 users of the Internet, including members of the public and business people, was carried out by the Irish

Internet Association (IIA).

The survey shows that 94 per cent have used the Internet to access news, 93 per cent to access product information and 68 per cent to access financial information.

The IIA is a representative body for those doing business on the

Internet in Ireland and its membership includes suppliers of services and products, as well as those using the Internet for their own business.

According to the association, one of the most significant findings for companies considering using the Internet to sell products, is that almost 40 per cent of users have already used it for shopping.

Despite this, 55.3 per cent of Internet users would not like to pay for the information they access, says the survey.

However, the IIA believes this trend will change in years to come as more companies become reliant on the Internet "as an additional and advanced means of doing business".

Of the respondents, 31.2 per cent listed speed of access as the

"most critical issue facing the Internet today". This was followed by security (22 per cent) and illegal material (13.7 per cent).

The issue of cost was not included in the survey, but speed of access is closely related to the issue of cost.

Out of all those surveyed, 43 per cent had an annual income of over £30,000, while 22 per cent were third-level students.

Almost 69 per cent were using Windows 95, 4.8 per cent were using

Windows NT, 4.8 per cent were using earlier versions of Windows, while 1.3 per cent were using DOS.

Overall 89.1 per cent were using some type of Microsoft platform.

According to Mr Gerry McGovern, spokesman for IIA, "there are trends, particularly in the United States, of the Internet penetrating a broader spread of population, but the average international Internet user still tends to be well off and well educated".

He said that for Irish companies "selling products or services to this sort of demographic group, the Internet is certainly a new market channel to be developed".

The survey, which will be conducted every six months from now on, showed a lower level of female Internet use - 25 per cent - than most other countries.

It showed that 47 per cent of respondents have been using the

Internet for between one and three years, with 42 per cent online for less than a year. Some 61 per cent of respondents accessed the

Internet from home and 35 per cent accessed it from the office. Only

15 per cent of access was made from a rural area.

Mr McGovern said "business to business" commerce was likely to increase at "an explosive rate". With the imminent introduction of

SET (Secure Electronic Transactions) this growth would increase, he added.

The survey was carried out over a six week period, beginning in

May 1997, and was done by means of a detailed questionnaire located on a website.