Irish consumers were feeling slightly less optimistic about their economic circumstances this month compared with May.
The latest IIB Bank/ESRI consumer sentiment index recorded a level of 65.8 in June, down from 66.5 in May.
Consumers' perception of their current situation improved slightly to 83, from 82.7 in May, but the index which measure expectations for the future dropped to 54.2 from 55.7 in May.
David Duffy of the ESRI said nearly 60% of consumers expected general economic conditions to worsen over the next 12 months.
IIB Bank economist Austin Hughes said the drop in expectations reflected disappointment at the absence of a clear improvement in the global economy after the end of the Iraq war.
But he said the survey suggested that lower inflation and interest rates were 'a very important support' to activity and employment in the Irish economy.
