The number of new private cars licensed last December fell by 13.6 per cent compared with the same month the previous year.
Data from the Central Statistics Office showed that 1,304 cars were licenced, compared with 1,509.
However, over the year the number of new cars licensed rose 4.4 per cent to 180,872.
The December slow-down extended to second-hand car sales, which were down by 4.9 per cent. Over the year, the number of second-hand car sales was up 8.3 per cent.
The number of new goods vehicles licensed in December fell by 29.5 per cent compared with December 2006.
