Small businesses lose confidence in economy

BUSINESS confidence in the Irish economy has crashed, according to a shock new survey by employer body ISME.

In its latest findings, the representative body of small to medium sized Irish businesses says it has experienced a "nose-dive in business confidence among small business over the last number of months".

Job prospects have also shrunk dramatically and are at their worst since the currency crisis of 1993, which preceded the economic boom of the following eight years.