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Background Notes

Purpose of Survey

The annual Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Household Survey 2017 contributes to the EU requirement under Regulation (EC) No 808/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 April 2004 concerning Community Statistics on the Information Society (OJ L143, 30.04.2004, p. 49). It covers a range of topics related to internet penetration and use of ICT by households and individuals. 

The survey is conducted annually in the first quarter of the year and asks respondents about their ICT activities over the previous 12 months. Each year, the survey includes a specific group of questions relating to a particular area of ICT. In 2017, additional questions relating to the Shared Economy and E-skills were included.

Reference Period

A module on Information Communications Technology (ICT) is included in the Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS) in the three months from January to March each year (Quarter 1). The questionnaire asks questions about ICT activities for the reference period of twelve months prior to the interviews taking place.

Survey Questionnaire

The ICT Households Survey 2017 was designed in line with the European Community Survey on ICT Usage in Households and By Individuals 2017 Model Questionnaire. The collection of the data under the aforementioned European Regulation implies that harmonised data can be obtained across the European continent.

The 2017 ICT household questionnaire is available at

ICT - Information And Communications Technologies

Data Collection

This survey was carried out as a module of the Quarterly National household Survey (QNHS).  The QNHS is a large-scale, nationwide survey of households in Ireland. It is designed to produce quarterly labour force estimates that include the official measures of employment and unemployment in the state using the International Labour Organisation basis.

Information is collected on tablet computers, using computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) software.

Sample Design

A two-stage sample design is used. A new sample was introduced in Q4 2012 following the 2011 Census of Population and an additional new sample also based on the 2011 Census of Population is being introduced incrementally from Q3 2016. The sample frame of households is clustered into blocks (small areas) with each block containing a minimum of 60 occupied households on the night of the 2011 Census of Population. In the case of the sample introduced in 2012 the sample frame is stratified using administrative county and population density while the sample introduced in 2016 is stratified using administrative county and the Pobal HP (Haase and Pratschke) Deprivation Index. In the first stage 1,300 blocks are selected using Probability Proportional to Size (PPS) sampling and in the second stage 20 households are selected using Simple Random Sampling (SRS). This ensures that each household in the sample frame has an equal probability of selection and results in a total quarterly sample of 26,000 households. The actual achieved sample varies over time depending on the level of response.

The number of valid responding households in the QNHS in Q1 2017 was 16,116. The corresponding number of valid responding households in the ICT Households Survey in Q1 2017 was 7,885.

Households are asked to take part in the survey for five consecutive quarters and are then replaced by other households in the same block. Thus, one fifth of the households in the survey are replaced each quarter and the QNHS sample involves an overlap of 80% between consecutive quarters and 20% between the same quarter in consecutive years. As the new sample based on the 2011 Census of Population was introduced incrementally across each quarter from Q4 2012 to Q4 2013, the new sample is fully effective from Q4 2013.

The survey results are weighted to agree with population estimates broken down by age, sex and region and are also calibrated to nationality control totals. The population estimates for April of each year are published in a separate release.

Grossing Effect

The QNHS grossing procedure aligns the distribution of persons covered in the sample with independently determined population estimates at the level of sex, five-year age group and NUTS3 region. 

The grossing factors applied in the processing of the ICT Household Survey are calculated in the same manner but differ from those that were used in the preparation of the main QNHS estimates as the ICT Household Survey was asked of a sub-sample of the overall QNHS sample on waves two, three and four of the QNHS sample. 

Note on Tables

The sum of row or column percentages in the tables in this report may not add to 100.0% due to rounding.

Reliability of Estimates Presented

Estimates for number of persons where there are less than 30 persons in a cell are too small to be considered reliable. These estimates are presented with an asterisk (*) in the relevant tables.

Where there are 30-49 persons in a cell, estimates are considered to have a wider margin of error and should be treated with caution. These cells are presented with parentheses [ ].

In the case of rates, these limits apply to the denominator used in generating the rate. In the case of annual changes, both the current year and the preceding year are taken into account when deciding whether the estimate should be suppressed or flagged as having a wider margin of error.

Classifications Used

Principal Economic Status Classification

Results are also available using the Principal Economic Status (PES) classification which was used in the Labour Force Survey and the Census of Population.  The PES classification is based on a single question in which respondents are asked what is their usual situation with regard to employment and given the following response categories:

  • At work
  • Unemployed
  • Student
  • Engaged on home duties
  • Retired
  • Other


Degree of Urbanisation

This classification is created from an aggregation of population density estimates derived from the Census of Population. The categories included in each aggregate are explained below:

  • Thinly populated area refers to rural areas
  • Intermediate density area refers to towns and suburbs
  • Densely populated area refers to cities, urban centres and urban areas


Region

The regional classifications in this release are based on the NUTS (Nomenclature of Territorial Units) classification used by Eurostat.  The NUTS3 regions correspond to the eight Regional Authorities established under the Local Government Act, 1991 (Regional Authorities) (Establishment) Order, 1993, which came into operation on 1 January 1994. The NUTS2 regions, which were proposed by Government and agreed by Eurostat in 1999, are groupings of the NUTS3 regions. The composition of the regions is set out below.

The composition of the regions is set out below.

Border, Midland and Western NUTS2 Region     

Southern and Eastern NUTS2 Region          

Border

Cavan

Dublin

Dublin City

 

Donegal

 

Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown

 

Leitrim

 

Fingal

 

Louth

 

South Dublin

 

Monaghan

 

 

 

Sligo

Mid-East

Kildare

 

 

 

Meath

Midland

Laois

 

Wicklow

 

Longford

Mid-West

Clare

 

Offaly

 

Limerick City

 

Westmeath

 

Limerick County

 

 

 

North Tipperary

West

Galway City

 

 

 

Galway County

South-East

Carlow

 

Mayo

 

Kilkenny

 

Roscommon

 

South Tipperary

 

 

 

Waterford City

 

 

 

Waterford County

 

 

 

Wexford

 

 

 

 

 

 

South-West

Cork City

 

 

 

Cork County

 

 

 

Kerry

QNHS Social Modules

While the main purpose of the QNHS is the production of quarterly labour force estimates, there is also a provision for the collection of data on social topics through the inclusion of special survey modules. The selection of the major national modules undertaken to date has been largely based on the results of a canvass of users (over 100 organisations) that was conducted by the CSO in 1996, 2002, 2006, 2008 and most recently 2011. The results of the canvass are presented to the National Statistics Board and they are asked to indicate their priorities for the years ahead.

The schedule for social modules in any given year is based on the following structure:

Quarter 1   Accidents and Illness module and  Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) Survey

Quarter 2   EU module (always covered under EU legislation)

Quarter 3   National module

Quarter 4   National module

Some of the social modules published to date in the QNHS are outlined below:

Irish Health Survey 2015

Q3 2015 Crime and Victimisation

Q2 2016 Households and Family Units

Q2 2016 QNHS Union Membership

Q4 2015 Pensions

Q2 2015 Households and Family Units

Q3 2014 Equality Module

Q2 2014 Environment Module

Q3 2013 Volunteering and Wellbeing

Q2 2013 Sport and Physical Exercise

Q3 2012 Effect on Households of the Economic Downturn

Q2 2012 Retirement Planning

Q2 2012 Parental Involvement in Children’s Education

Q2 2012 Union Membership

Q1 2012 Unemployment Thematic Report

Q2 2011 Response of Households to the Economic Downturn - Pilot Module

Q2 2011 Voter Participation

Q4 2010 Equality

Q3 2010 Health Status and Health Service Utilisation

Q2 2010 Cross Border Shopping

Q2 2010 Educational Attainment

Q1 2010 Crime and Victimisation

Q4 2009 Pension Provision

Q3 2009 Carers

Q2 2009 Union Membership

Q2 2009 Cross Border Shopping

Q3 2008 Lifelong Learning

Q4 2007 Childcare

Q3 2007 Health Status and Health Service Utilisation

Q3 2006 Sport and Physical Exercise
 

More historical social modules published are available at:

http://www.cso.ie/en/qnhs/releasesandpublications/qnhs-specialmodules/qnhs-specialmodulesarchive/.

Participating Households

The Central Statistics Office wishes to thank the participating households for their co-operation in agreeing to take part in the survey and for facilitating the collection of the relevant data.