Figures from the Central Statistics Office show that there was modest growth in the Irish economy in the first nine months of 2003.
Gross national product grew by 2.8% compared with the first nine months of 2002, while gross domestic product was up 1.1%. The GNP measure excludes profits from foreign-owned companies, and has been improving steadily over the past year.
For the third quarter of 2003, GNP grew by 3.6% compared with the same period in 2002, while GDP fell by 0.1%. The CSO says the growth figure for the first nine months of 2003 is a better indicator.
A breakdown of the third quarter figures shows that consumer spending rose by 1.8% compared with Q3 in 2002, a slower rate than in the first two quarters, while industrial output was up 1.2%.
Capital investment fell by 2%, however, while exports dropped by nearly 7%.
