“Despite the ongoing challenge of Covid and the inevitable impact of Brexit next year, there is cause for optimism in the economic outlook.”
Ireland looks like it will be the only country in Europe with growing exports and potentially a growing economy in 2020, combined with a vaccine rollout that provides hope of a return to normality for consumer-facing sectors over the next 12 months, he said.
After the last financial crisis it took households years to recover from a collapse in incomes and an overhang of property debt. This time Government has pumped cash into the worst-hit households and sectors, helping mitigate the impact of Covid, the report said.