Economist predicts continued economic strength

A conference in Dublin has heard Ireland's economy should continue to perform well over the coming five years, with predicted growth of up to 5.5% per annum.

Speaking at the Irish Association of Pension Funds conference, NCB Stockbrokers economist Dermot O'Brien predicted Irish economic growth would outpace that in other western countries between now and the end of the decade.

He said Ireland's economy should be strong enough to withstand the impact of rising oil prices and higher interest rates.

Mr O'Brien also said he saw no likelihood of a property crash, even if interest rates were to increase by a couple of percentage points.