February figures for passenger travel and bar sales highlight impact of Covid-19

Data is compared with February 2020, the last full month without Covid restrictions

The bar sector saw the biggest fall in sales compared to February of last year.

Retail sales in Ireland jumped in February compared to the previous month but were significantly lower than a year previously.

New figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show the overall volume of retail sales in February was 3.2% lower than February 2020, the last full month before the arrival of the coronavirus in Ireland and the implementation of restrictions.