## Independent Auditor’s Report 

to the members of CRH public limited company 

We have audited the financial statements of CRH plc for the year ended 31 December 2012 which comprise the Consolidated Income Statement, the Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income, the Consolidated and Company Balance Sheets, the Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity, the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows, the Accounting Policies, the related notes 1 to 33 (Group) and the related notes 1 to 12 (Company). The financial reporting framework that has been applied in the preparation of the Group Financial Statements is Irish law and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) as adopted by the European Union. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in the preparation of the Company Financial Statements is Irish law and accounting standards issued by the Financial Reporting Council and promulgated by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland (Generally Accepted Accounting Practice in Ireland). 

This Report is made solely to the Company’s members, as a body, in accordance with section 193 of the Companies Act, 1990. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the Company’s members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the Company and the Company’s members as a body, for our audit work, for this Report, or for the opinions we have formed. 

## Respective responsibilities of Directors and Auditors 

As explained more fully in the Statement of Directors’ Responsibilities the Directors are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements giving a true and fair view. Our responsibility is to audit and express an opinion on the financial statements in accordance with Irish law and International Standards on Auditing (UK and Ireland). Those standards require us to comply with the Auditing Practices Board’s Ethical Standards for Auditors. 

## Scope of the audit of the financial statements 

An audit involves obtaining evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements sufficient to give reasonable assurance that the financial statements are free from material misstatement, whether caused by fraud or error. This includes an assessment of: whether the accounting policies are appropriate to the Group and the Company’s circumstances and have been consistently applied and adequately disclosed; the reasonableness of significant accounting estimates made by the Directors; and the overall presentation of the financial statements. In addition, we read all the financial and non-financial information in the Annual Report to identify material inconsistencies with the audited financial statements. If we become aware of any apparent material misstatements or inconsistencies we consider the implications for our Report. 

## Opinion on financial statements 

In our opinion: 

– the Group Financial Statements give a true and fair view, in accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the European Union, of the state of the Group’s affairs as at 31 December 2012 and of its profit for the year then ended; 

– the Company Balance Sheet gives a true and fair view in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Practice in Ireland of the state of the Company’s affairs as at 31 December 2012; and 

– the financial statements have been properly prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Acts 1963 to 2012 and, as regards the Group Financial Statements, Article 4 of the IAS Regulation. 

## Matters on which we are required to report by the Companies Acts 1963 to 2012 

– We have obtained all the information and explanations which we consider necessary for the purposes of our audit. 

– In our opinion proper books of account have been kept by the Company. 

– The Company Balance Sheet is in agreement with the books of account. 

– The net assets of the Company, as stated in the Company Balance Sheet are more than half of the amount of its called-up share capital and, in our opinion, on that basis there did not exist at 31 December 2012 a financial situation which under section 40(1) of the Companies (Amendment) Act, 1983 would require the convening of an extraordinary general meeting of the Company. 

– In our opinion the information given in the Directors’ Report is consistent with the financial statements and the description in the Corporate Governance Report of the main features of the internal control and risk management systems in relation to the process for preparing the Group Financial Statements is consistent with the Group Financial Statements. 

## Matters on which we are required to report by exception 

We have nothing to report in respect of the following: 

Under the Companies Acts 1963 to 2012 we are required to report to you if, in our opinion, the disclosures of Directors’ remuneration and transactions specified by law are not made. 

Under the Listing Rules we are required to review: 

– the Directors’ Statement in relation to going concern; 

– the part of the Corporate Governance Report relating to the Company’s compliance with the nine provisions of the UK Corporate Governance Code specified for our review; and 

– certain elements of the disclosures in the report by the Board on Directors’ remuneration. 

Breffni Maguire for and on behalf of Ernst & Young Dublin 

25 February 2013 

