The annual rate of inflation moved higher again in January, according to the Central Statistics Office.
The CSO said consumer prices rose at an annual rate of 1.7%, up from 1.3% in December and the highest annual rate since November 2008.
Prices dropped by 0.2% during January, but the annual rate moved up because the fall was not as big as in January last year.
Clothing and footwear prices fell by 9.3% in the month due to the traditional January sales, while furniture and household equipment prices were down 2.6%. But health prices rose 3.3% due to an increase in the cost of hospital services, while prices in the alcohol and tobacco category rose 1.5%, as prices of wines and spirits recovered.
Transport prices were flat in the month despite increases of more than 2% in petrol and diesel prices, as air fares dropped by almost 20%.
Rents crept up 0.1% in January, but are down 1.6% over 12 months, while mortgage interest costs fell back 0.1%, though they are up more than 24% from a year earlier.
The EU measurement of prices - which excludes mortgage repayment costs - fell 0.3% in the month to give an annual increase of 0.2%.
