The volume of industrial production rose by 19.8 per cent in July 1999 compared with the same month in 1998, according to the latest statistics from the Central Statistics Office. This was well up on the 12.1 per cent rise in June of last year and the 6.5 per cent in May. Seasonally adjusted figures in the three months to July 1999 show a rise of 6.2 per cent above the three months to April 1999.

The unadjusted figures for the period May to July 1999, compared with the same period in 1998, show the largest increase was in mining and quarrying with a 53.4 per cent growth in production. The worst performance was in leather and leather products which recorded a fall of 17.9 per cent.