The rate of expansion in the Irish manufacturing sector slowed fractionally in January, but overall growth remained steady, according to the latest NCB Purchasing Managers Index (PMI).
The index for the month was 52.3 compared to 53 recorded in December. Any figure above 50 indicates growth.
The report noted that production has now increased in each month since September 2003, with the latest rate of growth broadly unchanged since the previous month and above the average for the current expansionary period.
The index said the rate of growth in input prices rose at its sharpest rate since September. This was blamed on higher raw material costs, which some firms linked to shortages at suppliers.
NCB economist Eunan King said: "Manufacturing output continued to grow as it had done in the previous 40 months but the pace of growth is stable rather than accelerating."
Mr King said: "While output is still expanding at a respectable pace orders, especially export orders are not very supportive.
"Backlogs continued to fall, while employment growth was only marginal in January. Output prices continued to grow, and input prices reaccelerated, following a few months of more modest inflation," he added.