External risks to Irish economy may be easing

Ireland may escape hits, but must remain vigilantRevised forecasts published recently by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), Central Bank, and the Department of Finance have all seen growth projections upgraded for 2017 and 2018.

The Central Bank expects underlying domestic demand to grow by 4% this year and 3.5% in 2018. The ESRI and the Department of Finance are forecasting that GDP will grow by around 4% in 2017 and by just over 3.5% in 2018.