New figures show that consumer sentiment weakened again in June, with the IIB/ESRI's index dropping to 89.4, compared with 92.3 in May.
The report showed that the index of current conditions increased from 103.4 to 106.3, but the expectations index declined from 84.8 to 77.9.
The ESRI's David Duffy said consumers had become much more concerned about the outlook for the labour market and the economy over the next 12 months. IIB economist Austin Hughes said worries about interest rates were continuing to unsettle Irish consumers. He said the fall in the index was disappointing, as similar measures in Germany and the US had recorded a solid improvement this month.
