Annual inflation rate falls to 2.6% 

Food prices have increased by 2.5% over the course of the last 12 months. 

The annual rate of inflation has fallen to 2.6% during the month of April, as electricity and gas prices continue to fall, but core inflation still continues to run higher, new data from the Central Statistics Office shows.

According to the data, the headline rate of inflation in April fell from the 2.9% recorded in March but core inflation, which excludes price changes in volatile areas such as food and energy prices, stood at 3.5% in the year to the end of April.