A new report has highlighted a number of groups poorly engaged with digital technology, including those living in rural areas, those who are older, have lower levels of education and lower incomes.
They tend to have poorer broadband connectivity, less access to ICT devices, and poorer skills, and lack confidence to engage with ICT.
These are the findings of the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) ‘Digital Inclusion in Ireland: Connectivity, Devices & Skills’ report.
This report focuses on digital inclusion: the importance of ensuring that everyone can confidently and safely access the digital world as employment, training and ways of life move increasingly online.
It argues that aiming for full inclusion is the next logical step to build on Ireland’s large investment in broadband connectivity, and in e-government.
There are strategies to help support digital inclusion in Ireland, such as the National Digital Strategy 2013, the Mobile Phone and Broadband Task Force, and the National Broadband Plan.
Digital inclusion
However, based on research with a range of organisations and international evidence, this NESC report argues that stronger supports for inclusion are needed.
It recommends that Ireland needs to:
- Develop a national strategy for digital inclusion;
- Create a comprehensive framework for digital skills progression;
- Support digital inclusion at community level;
- Deliver targeted supports for material access to key groups.
International studies show that the return to such investment in digital inclusion is high. Greater levels of digital inclusion will help Ireland’s households, farms and businesses “capture the full potential of digital technology and will provide an important means of combatting social exclusion”.
Difficulty in accessing online resources was an issue among certain groups during Covid-19 lockdowns.
The report notes that the impacts of the pandemic are still emerging but that there are geographic and socioeconomic variations when it comes to connectivity.
These variations are mainly socioeconomic when it comes to access to devices, and age-related and socioeconomic when it comes to skills and confidence.
Businesses and farms
The report states: “Given that access to devices is practically a requirement to run a business or farm, a key metric is the extent to which businesses are digitalised.
“When it comes to digitalising work processes, Ireland does not perform as well as other countries in the EU.”
There is lower digital engagement among micro-businesses with digital technology, “which make up 92% of Irish businesses”.
The position of farmers in relation to ICT “shows similar socioeconomic patterns to those found in businesses and households”.
“A 2019 survey of farmers’ use of ICT technology found that 84% used a smartphone in daily life, 69% a laptop or PC, and 38% a tablet or iPad,” the report notes.
“Only 2% did not use any of these devices. Usage of devices was higher on larger farms; 80% of those with over 100ha farms used a laptop or PC, compared to 65% of those with less than a 50ha farm.
“A much smaller proportion of farmers were using ICT technology in their farming practices.”
Lagging behind
While some businesses make strong use of new technologies and e-commerce, others “lag behind” – particularly farms and small businesses, and those owned/managed by older people.
“The barriers facing those lagging behind include lack of availability of finance and of staff with the right skills, and lack of access to digital infrastructure,” the report notes.
“Also important are low levels of confidence in using technology, and a lack of awareness of the technologies available and their potential benefits.
“For businesses and farms, digital inclusion is about the spread of digital transformation to all enterprises; i.e. the adoption of digital technologies and the existence of a range of enablers to support such adoption.
“The benefits of digital transformation for businesses are: opportunities to grow and create new revenue streams; to improve productivity; and to compete more effectively nationally and internationally.
“For this, digitally-skilled and engaged workers are vital to permit progress in a range of sectors, from construction to retailing.”
Ireland has potential as a hub
The NESC also said that Ireland has potential as a hub for international agri-tech businesses to use new products – “this would extend knowledge about and use of agri-tech on Irish farms”.
The council recommends that further research be carried out on the potential to develop such a hub.
“In farming, the growth of digital technologies will drive the Irish agri-food sector over the next 20 years,” the report states.
“This will again require multi-skilled farmers who are educated to use, and confident with, new digital technologies.
“As agri-tech products rely heavily on the gathering and analysis of farm data, good governance on data ownership is essential to ensure it is used safely, so that farmers can trust this data use, and be more confident in engaging with these products.”