Figures released by the Central Statistics Office yesterday tend to undermine predictions that the economic boom is about to slow.

The current account surplus, or balance of exports over imports, was £281 million (€356.8 million) at the end of the second quarter of 1999, compared with £88 million at the same time in 1998 - and much larger than expectations.

The Department of Finance, the Central Bank and the Economic and Social Research Institute have all forecast an easing in growth this year which, they say, will be linked to the current account moving into deficit.