The Central Statistics Office conducts an annual survey about the use of e-Commerce and ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) by enterprises in Ireland. This survey is conducted under Regulation (EC) No 808/2004. A sample of approximately 7,000 enterprises with ten or more persons engaged in the manufacturing, construction and selected services sectors is surveyed. A harmonised questionnaire is used by all 28 EU Member States so that comparable enterprise statistics at EU level can be made available.
The survey includes a question on electronic sales made via a website or via Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and whether these sales are made to other enterprises or to private consumers. There are also questions on the value of purchases made via e-commerce. For the 2015 survey, additional questions are being asked on the location of e-commerce sales and purchases; the location categories are Ireland, rest of EU, and rest of world. These questions will enable a location breakdown of e-commerce sales and purchases by businesses located in Ireland. The survey provides breakdowns of the results by employment size class and economic activity sector but it has not been designed to distinguish between indigenous and FDI companies.
Under the same EU regulations, the CSO also conducts an annual household ICT survey in Quarter 1 each year, as a module within the Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS). This survey includes a section on internet purchases, asking whether people bought goods or services over the internet, the types of goods and services, and where they were bought from (Ireland, rest of EU, and rest of world). In addition, the 2015 survey is gathering information on the value and volume of household purchases over the internet.
The results of the Enterprise and Household ICT Surveys are published on the CSO website www.cso.ie and the latest results are for 2014.
Internet purchases and sales of goods between Irish residents and foreign entities are included in principle in Merchandise Trade statistics. The CSO is working with the Revenue Customs division to improve the estimates of internet purchases and sales with foreign entities, of goods for personal use included in the Merchandise Trade statistics. As part of the development of its household surveys, the CSO is also planning an annual Household Budget Survey from 2017, which will provide an opportunity to further improve estimates of internet transactions by households.
