Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Senator Pippa Hackett):

I thank the Deputy for her continued interest in this important issue. As she is aware, the independent Irish Grown Wool Council was established in April 2023 following recommendations from the wool feasibility study. To support this establishment, my Department committed €30,000 in seed funding, as the Deputy outlined. It had its first annual general meeting in February 2024. This Irish Grown Wool Council reorganised its committee structures and appointed an interim chair from 1 March to 1 June of this year. A new interim chair was appointed on 2 June 2024. I have bumped into many of its members in the past year at various events, such as agricultural and craft shows and so forth. Its organisational structure can be found on its website, irishgrownwoolcouncil.com.

Of the €30,000 about which the Deputy asked, €15,383 has been drawn down to date. A further claim has recently been submitted to my Department and is currently being processed by my officials. I do not have the value of that particular drawdown.

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