New car sales up 11% in 2005

Despite a fall in new car sales from 713 in December 2004 to 603 in December 2005, year on year sales were up 11.4% from 154,136 to 171,732.

Cyril McHugh, chief executive of the Society of the Irish Motor Industry, welcomed this increase saying that it reflected the buoyancy of the economy, low interest rates, an increase in the working population and the relatively low level of car ownership in Ireland compared to other EU countries.