New figures show Irish businesses are the second highest users of social media in the European Union.

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) says 69% of Irish firms used some type of social media this year.

This includes platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

This is compared with an EU average of just 47%.

The use of social media by businesses nationally here has risen from 64% in 2015 and 67% in 2016.

The CSO says the primary method of using social media as a way of connecting with customers is the use of social networks - with 67% of Irish enterprises saying they'd used networks such as Facebook.

Malta had the largest percentage of usage at 74% - while Poland had the lowest at just 27%.