After a very positive summer consumer sentiment has deteriorated sharply in September.
That is according to the latest KBC Bank-ESRI Index.
It says that consumer sentiment fell to 60.2 last month.
That is a 10-point drop from August.
Calls are being made for the government to make clear what is likely to be contained in the December Budget.
In early September Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore demanded silence from all Ministers on the contents of Budget 2013.
He said leaks like we had on a daily basis last year were not fair especially to older people.
In a clear message to nervous backbenchers Mr. Gilmore told them that the worst of the pain would be over in another year and added that leaks are not helpful.
Chief Economist with KBC Bank is Austin Hughes.
He says there is a lot of uncertainty out there and it is not helping.
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