The Director of Forest Industries Ireland has welcomed a landmark report from the Timber in Construction Steering Group which outlines a roadmap for the timber sector to become a central pillar in meeting Ireland’s urgent housing needs and ambitious Climate Action Plan targets.

The report, ‘Market Opportunities for Timber Construction in Ireland’, projects significant growth in timber usage and details strategic steps necessary to transform the construction industry.

Mark McAuley, Director of Forest Industries Ireland, welcomed the report as a signal to farmers of the potential value of planting trees on their land, with such high future demand for timber.

Mark said: “We have a massive opportunity to build more with wood in Ireland. All the planting of commercial forests in the 1980s and 1990s is now bearing fruit in terms of housing and the environment. We have a rapidly growing Irish timber supply which we must use to build greener homes.”

But he warned that growth in the industry must be sustained beyond the next few years, with rapid afforestation needed today to meet timber demands in the 2040s and beyond.

“It is a real concern for the timber industry that we have not been able to follow up on the success of the earlier years of Irish forestry,” Mark continued. “We have allowed our planting levels to drop way below what’s needed, and everything must be done to increase planting of new, additional commercial forests. For farmers and other landowners, there’s a clear future demand for more timber which make planting today a strong investment. We need the wood, so let’s plant the trees.”

The Timber in Construction Steering Group was established by the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to explore ways to increase the use of timber in construction and overcome any regulatory barriers for builders and designers.

The Steering Group is made up of representatives of key industry bodies, including FII members Coillte as well as senior representatives of relevant government departments and agencies with responsibilities for policy and development of sectors.