The recent recovery evident in Ireland’s manufacturing sectors stalled in April, with output falling for the first time in three months.

Etihad’s decision to buy a 3% stake in Aer Lingus is a vote of confidence in the Aer Lingus business plan and could be a precursor to a buyout of the 25% stake owned by the Government.

The Irish economy grew by 0.7% in GDP terms in 2011, the first full-year increase since 2007.

Despite the services sector of the economy returning to growth in February, job losses in the sector continued, according to the latest NCB services PMI.

Aer Lingus carried 5.8% more passengers in January this year compared to the same period in 2011.

Profits across Irish services companies declined sharply in January, as business activity fell for the second consecutive month.

Operating conditions in the manufacturing sector continued to deteriorate in January with activity and output falling for the third consecutive month.

THE National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) will not be able to return to the markets at the end of 2013 but will only need a mini-bailout to fund the running of the country, according to NCB Stockbrokers.

DECEMBER saw the first decline in activity in the services sector for a year, prompting one international economist to suggest that the Irish economy is officially in double-dip recession mode.

IRELAND’s manufacturing sector suffered further in December, with the decline in new business levels accelerating and companies seeing a second consecutive monthly deterioration in operating conditions.

THE economy shrank by nearly 2% in the third quarter of the year, fresh figures from the CSO show.

THE EU and Ireland are heading into a fresh recession next year unless the European Central Bank initiates a number of actions — including dropping interest rates to 0.5% — NCB stockbrokers economist Brian Devine warned yesterday.

IRELAND’s manufacturing sector enjoyed its first monthly increase in production for five months, in October; although employment levels continued to fall.

THE Government may cut at least 1 percentage point off its 2012 economic forecast as a global slowdown curbs the export-led recovery, according to people familiar with the subject.

MANUFACTURING companies are continuing to shed jobs with September seeing the sharpest rate of losses in a year.

DESPITE a slight increase, growth in overall business activity in the services sector slowed for the second consecutive month in August; with new business, employment, profitability and optimism amongst companies all taking a hit due to ongoing weak consumer demand.

IRELAND’S corporation tax rate of 12.5% is unlikely to change over the next 10 years despite pressure from France and Germany.

THE country’s services sector saw new export orders contract for the first time this year in July, and at the fastest pace in two years, stoking doubts about the country’s economic growth prospects, a survey released yesterday has showed.

BUSINESS activity growth in the services sector picked up pace last month, even though June registered the second consecutive monthly fall in new business orders.

There was mixed news today in the latest NCB Purchasing Managers’ Index, a barometer for measuring activity in the services sector.

THE recent growth in the manufacturing sector came to a sudden halt last month, with output falling for the first time since the early part of 2010 and new orders declining for the first time in nine months.

A SLOWDOWN in orders saw manufacturing firms cutting jobs last month as activity slowed not just in Ireland but worldwide.

GOVERNMENT ministers like good news these days and Jobs Minister Richard Bruton is no exception.

SUSTAINED growth in manufacturing in April resulted in output hitting its second-highest level in 11 years with export-led growth continuing to offer some positivity to the struggling economy.

ONE of the country’s leading economists has warned that achieving a 1% reduction on the EU/IMF bailout will not be a huge benefit to our debt repayments.

GROWTH in Irish manufacturing pushed job creation in the sector to its highest in almost 11 years as surging exports remains the one bright light on the economic front.

THE Irish economy shrank for the third consecutive year in 2010, but new figures show that its rate of decline is slowing.

THE Central Bank is assuming house prices will fall 60% from their 2007 peak in an “adverse” scenario used in their planned stress testing of the debt-laden Irish banks.

IRELAND’S services and manufacturing industries are expanding at the fastest rates in almost a year, as fresh orders pump confidence into the sectors.

IRELAND’s manufacturing sector grew strongly last month — with the fastest increase in new business orders in more than 11 years; the sharpest rate of job creation for nearly five years and actual production increasing at its fastest pace in 13 years.

IF a new government attempts to buy back the outstanding €17 billion unsecured senior bank debt against the wishes of the EU/ECB the fallout for the Irish economy could be catastrophic.

THE Irish services sector activity shrank at its sharpest rate in almost a year last month following severe weather conditions that dampened customer confidence.

THE divergence in growth rate forecasts for the economy between those of the Government and the International Monetary Fund and EU is damaging the nation’s credibility.

New figures published today show that the economy grew slightly between July and September, primarily due to strong export demand.

NEW orders and output in the manufacturing sector rose slightly last month while activity remained steady.

THE ability of the Government to cut the numbers of public sector workers and drive efficiencies in the sector, as envisaged in the National Plan, is being questioned by economists.

AS the cost of Irish borrowing fell yesterday a leading Irish economist said he expects the economy will survive the current crisis without having to resort to EU or IMF support.

IRELAND’s manufacturing sector returned to positivity last month with business activity levels picking up after a disappointing September according to latest data.

CONDEMNATION of the rising cost at which Ireland is having to borrow funds widened considerably yesterday, as Irish bond yields continued to rise.

YIELDS at a treasury bill auction yesterday fell from an auction two weeks ago after the Government announced on Wednesday that it would gradually wind down Anglo Irish Bank.

SERVICES companies reported an increase in new business last month, notably from domestic clients, but job cuts in the sector continued.

ONCE the future of Anglo is decided on over the next few weeks and the transfer of assets to NAMA proceeds as planned, a new report suggests the focus will shift back to the country’s mounting deficit, which last year was the biggest in the EU.

IRELAND has now completed 99% of its stated €20 billion borrowing programme for this year, following the raising of a further €1.5bn through the eighth successful monthly Government bond auction of 2010.