Profits down 14.5% at Vodafone Ireland

Pre-tax profits at Vodafone Ireland fell by 14.5 per cent to €100m, according to accounts just published by the Companies Registration Office.

In the year to March 31st 2014, the UK telecommunications group reported turnover of €1 billion for its Irish operations, down by 1.4 per cent on the same period in 2013.

Vodafone said as of end March 2014, it had total customers of 2.4m, of which 2.1m are mobile customers.

According to notes attached to the accounts, the communications group said it had “performed well” over the period, with smartphone subscribers increasing by 18.3 per cent year-on-year.

With regards to contract subscribers, Vodafone reported a 14.2 per cent annual growth rate, adding 112,000 contract customers.

“This growth can be primarily attributed to the success of Vodafone Red, a range of innovative, simple pay tariffs, and an extensive handset range,” the report said.

Looking ahead, Vodafone said that the operating environment “remains challenging”.

Vodafone paid its parent company a dividend of €80m, down from €150m in 2013.