Irish business sentiment at eight-year high

Business activity and personnel hiring are both expected to continue growing strongly this year on the back of a marked increase in economic confidence.

While the latest edition of the KBC Bank (Ireland)/Chartered Accountants Ireland Business Sentiment Survey, covering the first quarter of this year, stresses its latest positivity points to “another step-up” in conditions, rather than a sea-change, it said “the upturn continues to spread more widely across sectors and firms, underpinning confidence that it will continue and strengthen further”.

The latest survey shows positive sentiment among companies reached the highest point since 2007 during the first quarter.