Irish contractor reports pre-tax profit of £32.6m for the year to 30 April 2006.

Irish contractor Abbey has reported an 18% drop in profit in its preliminary full-year results.

The contractor, which works across Ireland and the UK, reported pre-tax profit of £32.6m for the year to 30 April 2006, compared with £39.8m the previous year.

The group’s housebuilding division had a turnover of £127m, with its UK trading broadly in line with expectations. However, the firm said its margins remained under pressure, as they had been affected by rising land costs.