Ireland surpasses euro area inflation as core readings continue to rise 

While Irish inflation remains just 0.1% higher than the annual euro average, its rate of decline has been notably slower

While on the decrease, underlying readings have remained stubbornly high, with consumer inflation figures actually increasing when fuel and unprocessed food were excluded

Annual Irish inflation has fallen at a notably slower pace than its euro area counterparts, with new figures coming just two weeks before the ECB's crunch decision on further interest rate hikes.

While Irish inflation remains just 0.1% higher than the annual euro average of 6.9%, its rate of decline has been outpaced by the now 20-member currency union, which has declined by more than 1.6% since February.