Inflation figures show 3.5% fall in prices

Average prices in Ireland have fallen by 3.5% over the past year, according to the latest inflation figures from the Central Statistics Office.

The CSO says prices came down by 0.8% during the month of April alone.

The main factors pushing the decline are falling mortgage repayments, cheaper clothing and footwear and cuts in the price of a wide range of food items.

If tobacco is excluded from the figures, average prices were actually down almost 4% between April 2008 and April 2009.