15,371 new cars were licensed in May, a drop of 18% compared with the same month last year, according to figures from the Central Statistics Office.
For the first five months of the year, new car sales are running 2% lower than the same period last year at 89,686, which is the lowest figure since 1998.
Second-hand car sales fell by 5.8% in May compared with the same month in 2002, and decreased by 10% in the year to date. The total number of all vehicles licensed so far in 2003 was almost flat at 124,730.
Separate CSO figures showed that the seasonally adjusted volume of industrial production grew by 8.8% in the three months from February to April compared with the previous three months.
Production for all industries in April was 8.7% higher than the same month a year earlier. The annual rise in the 'modern' sector - which comprises high-tech and chemical industries - was 10.4%, against a rise of 3.7% in the 'traditional' sector.
