DUBLIN (Reuters) – Irish consumer sentiment edged slightly higher again in June, a survey showed on Friday, as respondents became more confident about their finances but still said they intended to spend less on major purchases than they had planned a month ago.
The Credit Union Consumer Sentiment index rose to 63.7 from 62.4 in May amid that mixed picture, well up on the 14-year low of 42.1 last September but still lagging the 77.0 recorded in February 2022, before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“While the June sentiment reading marked the sixth monthly gain in seven, the general tone of the survey suggests that although concerns are easing, they are far from over,” the survey’s authors said in a statement.
In an additional question on how cost-of-living pressures will impact holiday spend, 27% of respondents said they cannot afford a holiday, 30% said they will curb their spending and 33% anticipated no change or that they will spend more.
(Reporting by Padraic Halpin; Editing by Conor Humphries)
