Despite the doom and gloom of the recession Irish people are still managing to put money away for a rainy day, according to the latest KBC Bank Ireland savings barometer.

Nearly 80 per cent of those surveyed said they had a savings account, with a strong increase in savings accounts among the 35-44 age group.

Some 79 per cent of people surveyed in this group currently have a savings account compared to 75 per cent in the first quarter of this year.

The research found that 34 per cent of those polled dip into their savings 2 -3 times a year, while 20 per cent of respondents dipped into their savings more than 5 times in the last year, according to the survey.

Saving for a rainy day was the most important reason given for saving by the respondents. Some 26 per cent of respondents said they were saving for this reason.

Saving for a particular item such as a house, a car or a holiday was the reason given by 21 per cent of respondents, while 14 per cent of people surveyed said “uncertainty about the future” was their reason for saving.

“The positive trend is that people are still saving and are trying to manage their finances so that they have some fallback for an unexpected event. The commitment to savings remains strong and 49 per cent are planning to increase their savings in the next year”, Dara Deering, head of retail banking at KBC Bank Ireland said.

Some 1,000 people were surveyed across Ireland for the barometer research, with Connacht and Ulster found to have highest percentage of savers.