Annual Irish inflation core inflation remained steady at 5.7% in June, staying ahead of the headline rate which slowed to 4.8% from 5.4% a month earlier, a flash estimate of the EU-standard Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) showed on Thursday.

The HICP rate excluding energy and unprocessed food, known by economists as core inflation and seen as a better gauge of the underlying trend, last month surpassed the headline figure for the first time since prices began to climb in late 2021.

Ireland's central bank last week hiked its 2023 core inflation forecast to 4.9% from 3.5% three months ago and expects it to slow only gradually once it peaks later this year, remaining at 2.7% in 2025. (Reporting by Padraic Halpin; Editing by Toby Chopra)