Francis Noel Duffy (Dublin South West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for the work they are doing across the spectrum of the areas we are discussing today. Their endeavours are appreciated by all. I congratulate Mr. O'Connor and Mr. Harvey and their teams on the homes they have created and on setting new standards. It is really interesting. Fair play to them.

I have been fortunate enough to work with Mr. O'Toole who has shown me the wonders of our timber sector but also enlightened me on the barriers to increasing the use of timber in modern methods of construction. My question is for NSAI and Coillte and concerns the realisation of cross-laminated timber - or CLT as we know it - using Irish C16 timber. Ms Larkin's statement referred to Agrément certification being a process for certifying innovative construction products and systems where no standard exists.

She also stated that the NSAI provides manufacturers with methods of showing that a product is a proper material, thereby complying with Irish building regulations. Her statement also noted that the NSAI is updating structural design Eurocodes and product codes to allow for evolving technologies, including cross-laminated timber, CLT. My question is simple: has a process begun to procure Agrément certification for CLT produced from Irish-grown C16? I ask this in the context of CLT being a modern method of construction. Dr. Annette Harte's CLT research shows that we can make it here. We export the raw materials for CLT to the UK in large quantities. If it has begun, will Ms Larkin provide the committee with a timeline of when the Agrément certification or certifications will be produced to allow the construction sector to realise the potential of Irish C16 timber in the construction sector akin to other jurisdictions? I know of some where more than 20 storeys can be built. In the context of saying you can build beyond what the regulation states, and I know from experience and working in the sector, you will not get a fire certificate because it will be said that it does not match, or at least that is my experience. You can go outside of it but in my experience, it is very difficult. Is a process under way so we can use our timber to make C16? I have had meetings with the Department, and Mr. Seán Armstrong said the timber industry can move forward if there is an Agrément certification to show we can produce C16. Is that happening?