Irish consumer confidence slid to a 20 month low in October according to the KBC Bank Ireland/ESRI Consumer Sentiment Index.
It declined to 97.3 from 102.0 in September. While this monthly drop was significant, it was not unusually large, but it was sufficient to push the index back to its lowest level since February 2015.
The report notes that the main cause of this fall as a worsening of households' assessments of their own finances.
Ireland's "Economic ‘recovery’ not delivering expected progress and now seems subject to downside risks," the study notes.
It adds that October's data may have suffered as individuals reviewed their personal finances after Budget 2017.
While the overall sentiment is positive - this report suggests that on an individual level a degree of pessimism has set in.
"Irish consumer sentiment deteriorated in October as thinking on the outlook for the economy and jobs weakened modestly and views on household finances underwent a more notable downgrade.
"It remains the case that at current levels Irish consumers take a reasonably positive view of their economic circumstances but there is also a strong sense in this month’s survey of growing disappointment that the Irish economic recovery is falling well short of consumers’ expectations."
He adds that both Brexit and the EU ruling against Apple have added to consumer uncertainty.
