Factory gate prices fell by 1.6% in January, according to the Central Statistics Office, resulting in a drop of 5.3% compared with the same month last year.
The main factors in the monthly fall were lower prices in the chemical, office machinery and computer, food and pharmaceutical sectors.
Prices of building materials fell by 1% in the month but were up 2.3% in the year. Prices of energy products rose by 1% in the month and are running 4.4% ahead on an annual basis.
* Separate CSO figures showed that 21,257 days were lost to industrial disputes last year, the lowest annual total since 1970. 114,613 days were lost in 2001.
