Computers in one-third of homes

Almost one in every three households in the State has a computer. According to Quarterly National Household Survey figures for the last three months of 2000, there is a computer in almost 417,000 households, up from 228,500 households at the end of September 1998.

Over the same period household Internet connections have quadrupled, rising from 61,100 at the end of the third quarter in 1998 to 262,700 at the end of last year.

The Government chief whip, Mr Seamus Brennan, has welcomed "these valuable and very encouraging figures" as "a sign of real progress". The figures reflected "the success of the Government's drive to adapt to the information age".

He pointed out that a further £80 million would be invested in information and communications technologies for schools over the next two years and that free Internet access is already available in libraries.

In the greater Dublin area about 38 per cent of homes have a computer. In the south-west and mid-west regions the figure is about 30 per cent, with 29 per cent in the south-east, 28.5 per cent in the midlands, 27.1 per cent in the west, and 25.1 per cent in Border regions.

Mr Brennan noted that all regions had "recorded significant increases in home computer ownership".

Computers are used for a variety of reasons: 81 per cent for educational purposes, and 89 per cent for leisure purposes. Almost two-thirds are used for practical tasks such as letter-writing, with under half used for work.

An estimated 262,700 households have a connection to the Internet, representing 20.4 per cent of all households.

The highest number of home computers, almost half, are in households where the reference person is aged between 35 and 54, i.e., in mainly family units.

Ownership is lowest for those aged over 65. Just 7.8 per cent of households where no one is employed have a home computer.