Irish economy may growth by more than 4 percent - finance minister

DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ireland's economy may grow slightly more than the 4 percent forecast by government for this year, finance minister Michael Noonan said on Friday.

Ireland's economy grew by 4.8 percent last year, its best performance since 2007 and the fastest growth in the European Union as the country continued to rebound from a debt crisis that forced it to seek an international bailout five years ago.

Economic indicators have been strong so far this year, with retail sales up sharply, unemployment dipping below 10 percent and consumer sentiment at a nine-year high.

"The growth projections are good, we've the highest growth rates in Europe and we'll grow by 4 percent or a little bit more this year," Noonan told a conference.

Noonan's department nudged up its growth forecasts for 2015 and 2016 when it last revised its forecasts in April.

(Reporting by Padraic Halpin)