IBEC: Export performance not sufficient for recovery

IBEC has warned that while prospects for Irish exports remain positive, the sector’s performance will struggle tocompensate for theongoing weakness indomestic demand.

In its fourth quarter business sentiment survey, the employers’ representative body said that the climate, heading into the New Year is “very challenging” and confidence levels — among Irish companies — has fallen significantly since the third quarter.

“Overall, the business climate, as we enter 2012, is clearly very challenging and the resilience of the export sector will struggle to compensate for the weakness in domestic demand.