DUBLIN, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- Ireland's gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 4 percent year on year in the third quarter of this year, according to official figures released on Friday.
The figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) showed that compared with a year ago, Ireland's GDP was 6.9 percent higher.
This week, Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny said the Irish economy is expected to grow at about 4 percent this year, well ahead of EU partners.
The CSO said Ireland's gross national product (GNP) increased by 3.2 percent in the third quarter, adding that compared with a year ago, GNP was 10.2 percent higher than in the third quarter of 2015.
The CSO figures also showed that net exports were 20.1 percent higher in the third quarter of 2016 compared with the corresponding quarter of 2015.
Commenting on the CSO figures, Irish Finance Minister Michael Noonan said these figures are the first estimate of growth in the Irish economy since the Brexit referendum.
"They show that the immediate impact from Brexit has been more benign than initially anticipated. However, we cannot be complacent," he said.
