Output from Irish-based factories fell by 0.1 in January on the back of a dip in output in the State’s high-tech and chemical sectors.

The monthly production numbers from the Central Statistic Office (CSO), a key gauge of the economy's underlying health, show manufacturing output was still up 11.7 per cent on an annual basis.

The figures show production in the “Modern” sector, comprising high-technology and chemical sectors, fell by 3.3 per cent in January.

The sub-index for “Traditional” industries, however, registered a monthly increase of 0.3 per cent.