Growth in construction work hits 16-year high

Construction activity increased at its fastest pace for nearly 16 years in February, helped by a sharp pick-up in new business order volumes.

On the back of that, Irish building firms increased both their purchasing activity and employment levels at near-record rates.

Furthermore, with economic conditions continuing to improve — latest CSO data last week showed the economy grew by 7.8%, in GDP terms, in 2015, representing its best performance in 15 years; and most commentators see growth continuing this year — business sentiment, in the sector, has improved to a three-month high.