THE construction industry should continue to remain buoyant for at least another 18 months, the deputy chairman of building materials group, Kingspan, Mr Brendan Murtagh, said yesterday.

He said the Irish market remained consistently strong. Although the British market has been recovering for the past two years, but remains "a bit volatile" on a quarter by quarter basis.

Earlier this year, some industry analysts were forecasting lower growth in the Irish construction industry this year, but Mr Murtagh said the company was seeing no signs of this.

"The Irish market should be as good as last year overall," he said.

Mr Murtagh, who was speaking after the company's a.g.m. yesterday, said the company will probably - make one or two bolt on acquisitions in Britain this year.

In January the group acquired Ward for a total consideration of almost £26 million. It included a contract structural steel division which did not fit into the group's plans. It has since been sold to a management buyout team for £2.5 million.

Kingspan said it will on the way to achieving growth in market share for Ward products as sell as operational efficiencies. The company said this would help the 1997 results, making the acquisition earnings enhancing in year one.

Mr Murtagh said a major acquisition would be "difficult to predict" but if one came along the company would take it on.

He said the company wanted to consolidate its presence in the Benelux countries and German as well as trying to develop business in Hong Kong Asia and Singapore.