Figures show recession ended at start of year

THE recession officially ended at the start of the year, new figures have revealed.

According to the Central Statistics Office (CSO), the value of all goods and services in the country, measured by GDP, grew by 2.7% in the first three months of 2010 compared with the last three months of last year.

GDP fell by a record 7.1% last year, the largest decline in output recorded in a single year.