Merrill forecasts 1% GDP growth

Merrill Lynch forecasts that Irish GDP grew by 0.2% last year, saying it will grow by 1% this year.

The US investment bank’s projections are more conservative than most Irish-based forecasts.

The Department of Finance has pencilled GDP growth of 1.5% this year and predicts it reached 0.9% last year. The latest Goodbody Stockbrokers’ economic outlook has revised upwards its GDP growth forecast from 1.3% to 1.6% in 2013.