education and skills report
Digital inclusion in Ireland
Secretariat to the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) Anne-Marie McGauran discusses the council’s recommendation for a national strategy for digital inclusion. McGauran recently authored a report that looked at connectivity, devices, and skills in relation to digital inclusion in Ireland and argues that a digital inclusion strategy would help address the digital needs of groups who remain poorly engaged with digital technologies, namely those who are older, poorer, and with lower levels of education. McGauran stresses that a focus on the needs of people in these key groups would build on Ireland’s large investment in broadband connectivity and critically, would help to combat social exclusion in the long term. “Aiming for full digital inclusion is the next logical step to build on Ireland’s large investment in broadband connectivity, and in eGovernment. International studies show that the return from such investment in digital inclusion is high. From a social cohesion point of view, such investment aims to ensure that digital divides do not persist, and so
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helps to combat social exclusion.” Explaining the premise of digital inclusion, the policy analyst says that everyone can contribute to and benefit from the digital economy and society. For the individual, this means having “convenient, reliable access to affordable, accessible digital devices and an internet connection”. For businesses, it is about the spread of digital transformation to all enterprises. The pandemic has added an additional layer to the importance of digital inclusion, accelerating the reliance on digital and its importance for social inclusion. This accelerated reliance has occurred against a backdrop of greater digitalisation in the form of the fourth industrial revolution and Ireland’s large investment in broadband. “Everyone needs to be enabled and equipped to work in this new labour market and those least-well equipped are most likely to be left behind,” says
McGauran, highlighting research from the UK, which suggests a £15 return for every £1 invested in digital inclusion. McGauran outlines the main dimensions of digital inclusion and some of the challenges associated with them, namely: Connectivity: An improving issue across Ireland but one which remains a problem in rural Ireland and poorer communities; Skills: Content literacy and technical skills, both of which require constant updating; Devices: Cost is a major factor in either device absence or outdated models; and Confidence: The confidence to engage with the digital world. While the pandemic has accelerated use of the internet, obvious gaps remain. McGauran’s research shows
