PRICES ACROSS IRELAND rose by 0.2% in March compared with the same time last year, new figures from the CSO have shown.

Compared with February, prices were up 0.7%, the CSO said.

The most significant monthly price changes were increases in clothing and footwear, which climbed 3%, miscellaneous goods, up 2.3% and transport which went up 1.2%. There were decreases in food and non-alcoholic beverages, which fell 0.3% and communications, which dropped 0.2%.

Overall in the last year, there was a 0.2% increase in prices, with education (+4.6%), miscellaneous goods (+4.2%), alcoholic and tobacco (+3.5%) and restaurants and hotels (+2.0%) all climbing.

There were decreases in the costs of clothing and footwear (-4.2%), communications (-3.1%), furnishings, household equipment (-2.8%) and transport (-2.1%).

The CSO says that the local property tax affected miscellaneous services, while the increased cost of restaurants and hotels was a knock on of higher drink prices.

Retailers own sales brought the price of clothing down, the CSO says, while transport fell on the back of cheaper petrol.

Read: Damien Kiberd: If prices are deflating, why are we feeling poorer?

Read: Crime figures show fall in homicides, but rise in kidnappings

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