Irish headquartered consulting engineering firm Byrne Looby Partners is to create 25 jobs at its Irish offices and a further 25 overseas as the company seeks to expand its business.

The jobs, which will be created over the next 18 months, include include engineers, project managers, business development and support staff.

Byrne Looby Partners already employs 59 people at its offices in Dublin, Galway, Cork and Belfast, and a further 25 at its seven international offices in the UK, North Africa and the Middle East.

The jobs at the Irish offices will help support the firm’s international customers.

"We have expanded significantly over the past five years through a targeted international growth strategy and have put plans in place to progress this further," said joint managing director Michael Looby.

The company, which has worked on projects such as the Aviva Stadium, the Shard and Heathrow Terminal Two, acquired Irish consultancy PH McCarthy earlier this year and has rebranded its water and infrastructure service division as Byrne Looby PH McCarthy. As a result of the acquisition, it created 15 jobs for former PH McCarthy staff members.

The news of the expansion was welcomed by Minister for Jobs Richard Bruton.