Internet users in Ireland will not pay for online news according to Amas and the Irish Internet Association (IIA).

The State of the Net bulletin, issued by Amas and the IIA, states the vast majority of the Irish population has greeted the recent trend in publishers to put their content behind "paywalls" with a negative response.

KPMG research found that 88 percent of Irish users said they simply would not pay for content while only two percent said that they would pay for all content.

So far Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation has been leading the way by making The Times and the Sunday Times accessible only by paying readers.

The State of the Net report also tracked the changing media habits of readers with the introduction of smart phones and the demand of media "apps"

Managing director of online consultancy Amas, Aileen O’Toole, said "Advertising follows audience, and advertising budgets in Ireland are already on the move from traditional to digital media.”

“If trends across Europe are a barometer, digital advertising will soon become a fifth of total advertising spend."