The seasonally adjusted volume of industrial production for manufacturing fell 2.8 per cent for the three month period between October and December compared to the previous quarter, according to figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
But the annual volume of industrial production in December was 15.2 per cent higher than in the same month in 2005.
The CSO said the "Modern" sector, comprising a number of high-technology and chemical sectors, showed an annual increase in production for December 2006 of 22.1 per cent, while an increase of 0.6 per cent was recorded in the "Traditional" sector.
The seasonally adjusted industrial turnover for manufacturing industries was 1 per cent higher in the three month period October to December 2006 when compared with the preceding three month period, the CSO said.