Output from foreign-owned firms falls sharply

CSO data suggests slump in sector dominated by multinationals was partly offset by expansion of Irish-owned food firms

Production in all types of manufacturers slumped by 12.7% in the three months to the end of April, compared to the same period in 2023 — but some Irish-owned manufacturers including food producers expanded in the same period. iStock

Output from Irish manufacturing dominated by the pharma and chemical multinationals continue to slump, and was only partly offset by expansion from Irish-owned food firms, official figures suggest. 

The Central Statistics Office figures show production from all types of manufacturers slumped by 12.7% in the three months to the end of April from the same period in 2023, reflecting for the most part a slide in output from multinationals based in Ireland that make pharma and chemical products for world markets.