Kingspan reported sales up 10 percent to EUR520m during the first four months of the year.

In an interim statement, it said there had been “some pick-up in activity levels” during March and April following a particularly slow start to the year.

The firm has weathered the downturn by taking advantage of a shift towards more energy-efficient building standards, particularly in its largest market: the UK.

The Irish-based company said market conditions remain “relatively weak” in the UK, particularly in non-office commercial construction. There were some signs of improvement in commercial construction in Ireland, albeit from a “negligible base”.