Ireland's services sector expands again in March, but pace slows

Ireland's services expanded at a robust pace again in March, a survey showed on Tuesday, as companies reported that new orders rose substantially, albeit at the slowest pace in more than a year. Ireland's economy is forecast to be the fastest growing in the European Union for a second successive year in 2015. A strong first quarter that saw unemployment fall to 10 percent from a high of over 15 percent in early 2012.
The Investec Purchasing Managers' Index of activity in the services sector, which covers businesses from banks to hotels, slipped to 60.9 from 61.4 in February. It had reached an eight-year high in December last year. The index has stayed above 60 for a year and has not fallen below the 50-point line denoting growth since July 2012.