An index which assesses how consumers feel about the economic and financial outlook dropped this month to its lowest level since February.
The consumer sentiment index, compiled by KBC Bank and the ESRI, fell to 56.3 from 59.4 in May. The underlying trend - which averages out the last three months' figures - also fell for the first time this year.
KBC economist Austin Hughes said the drop was not surprising, as consumers still faced a weak economic outlook and pressures on household spending from coming Budget measures and ECB interest rate increases.
All five parts of the consumer sentiment survey recorded weaker figures, the first time in three years this has happened. The biggest monthly fall was in the jobs part of the survey, though this followed a surprisingly large rise in May.
There was also a big fall in the part of the survey which measured how consumers felt about their household finances in the coming months. Mr Hughes said this was probably due to an ECB signal that interest rates will rise in July, and uncertainty about the likely introduction off a household charge next year.
