Irish housebuilder looks to UK market to push sales past £340m mark.

Irish housebuilder McInerney Group has revealed a 26% rise in profits to €50m in full-year results announced this morning.

The group, which operates in the UK, Ireland and Spain, posted sales of €489m during 2005, up from €373m.

Overall, the company completed 1,831 homes in the year, compared to 1,614 in 2004. Some 658 of these were in the UK, an increase from 500 in 2004.

The firm said that it now planned to develop a presence in the Midlands, particularly since the acquisition of Augusta Developments in Milton Keynes.

Chairman Ned Sullivan said: "Each subsidiary is strategically positioned geographically, with an appropriate product portfolio to provide continued revenue growth going forward. We expect our focused strategy to continue to deliver growth in 2006."