Consumer prices rose 0.4 per cent in the year to the end of June, new data from the Central Statistics Office showed.

Prices were pushed marginally higher by a rise in the cost of miscellaneous goods and services, which increased almost 6 per cent in the year, and increasing education costs, which rose 3.8 per cent. The miscellaneous category includes motor and health insurance premiums, which were pushed higher over the year.

Prices charged by restaurants and hotels were almost 3 per cent higher year on year, with the cost of hotel accommodation rising over the year along with prices for alcoholic drinks and food, while health was up 2 per cent.

This was offset by decreases of 4 per cent in the cost of transport as petrol and diesel prices fell, and a 3.6 per cent decline in the price of furniture and household equipment and maintenance.

Month on month, prices showed a rise of 0.7 per cent, buoyed by increased transport and hotel costs.

Meanwhile, prices as measured by the EU Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices rose by 0.1 per cent year on year, with education up 3.8 per cent and restaurants and hotels rising 3 per cent. Transport was 4.3 per cent lower, the figures showed.

Analysts said the figures were “a touch stronger” than expected, but overall inflationary pressures were still quite weak.

“However, the big worry on the inflation front going forward may come with wages,” Merrion economics said in a note. “The revised economic growth numbers for last year showing GDP up over 26 per cent in real terms and 32 per cent in nominal terms in 2015 won’t help policymakers, as more and more people will be looking for a piece of this ‘super-growth pie’, likely leading to over-aggressive demands on the remuneration front, which if granted, will do more damage than good in the long-run.”