A new national facility to boost research and innovation in timber construction has been announced by Minister of State for Forestry, Farm Safety and Horticulture Michael Healy Rae, TD.

The announcement was made at the Build with Wood conference in Co Wicklow, which brought together more than 200 experts from the timber, construction and scientific sectors.

The new Timber Knowledge Development and Innovation facility will be co-funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. It will be coordinated by Enterprise Ireland to promote expertise and innovation in the use of timber across the construction industry.

Speaking at Beyond the Trees Avondale, where the conference was held, Mr Healy Rae said Ireland must increase its use of wood in housing if it is to meet both housing and climate targets. “By fostering greater use of wood in construction, we have an opportunity to both contribute to solving Ireland’s housing crisis and to do it in a more sustainable way,” he said.

The conference, moderated by architect and broadcaster Dermot Bannon, was organised by Coillte and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. It examined how timber can play a central role in sustainable housing and help Ireland meet its climate commitments.

The Timber in Construction Steering Group, which includes representatives from Government, industry and academia, has identified the new research hub as a key step in accelerating the shift to timber-based building. The group has also called for updated building regulations, national specifications for timber use, and the inclusion of carbon performance targets in public procurement to help mainstream the use of wood in Irish construction.

A new report from the Steering Group, Market Opportunities for Timber in Construction in Ireland, was also published at the event. The report outlines how the sector could unlock major economic and environmental benefits through greater use of Irish-grown timber. Mr Healy Rae said the findings show strong potential for growth in the sector and the opportunity to add value to Ireland’s natural resources through new timber-based products and construction methods.

Coillte chief executive Imelda Hurley said Ireland had moved from identifying the potential of timber construction to putting policy into practice. She pointed to Coillte’s partnership with South Dublin County Council on a pilot housing project in Deansrath, Co Dublin, which will see 27 age-friendly homes built using low-carbon, homegrown timber. “This project demonstrates that using sustainably grown Irish timber is a viable solution for housing delivery,” she said.

Ms Hurley said more than 60 organisations had contributed to research and technical studies through the Timber in Construction Steering Group. She said the work was “laying the foundation for sound regulation that will open up market demand, backed by data to ensure progress can be measured and accelerated”.

Mr Bannon said the conference showed clear progress since its inception in 2022 but warned that “continued effort is needed to ensure Ireland keeps moving forward on this agenda, which can deliver both climate and housing benefits”.

The event explored topics including regulatory reform, carbon reduction and the potential for homegrown timber to decarbonise Ireland’s construction industry.