Cautious optimism as economy grows by over 5% - but Brexit and virus fears loom

Finance Minister Pascal Donohoe says the figures confirm the momentum of the economy, despite significant external headwinds, like Brexit and the slowing global economy.

Exports reached record levels of €119bn in the fourth quarter of last year, while new housing output increased by 19%, according to figures released by the CSO.

Overall the economy grew by 5.5% for the whole of 2019 according to preliminary figures from the CSO.