This is a significant moment and the first step towards a new dawn which will be a win-win on the carbon emissions front as well.

The motion, tabled by the Green Party or An Comhaontas Glas, calls for "a working group between the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment to devise and implement the necessary policies and legislative changes to remove existing barriers to the increased use of timber in construction[.]" This will be essential if we are to realise the true benefits of our forest products. We must make sure there is joined-up thinking in how we manage our forests for nature and enterprise and how we incentivise landowners and farmers to enter the forestry sector. I know the Minister of State will be addressing the motion later, and I know first-hand that she understands, appreciates and will be a leader for this joined-up, holistic approach. Joined-up thinking is crucial. For too long we have approached forestry from a siloed position and we can see it has not worked out very well.

The motion calls for State bodies to promote timber in construction through public procurement. This is also welcome. We can make sure all tenders from the public sector include a wood-first preference. This will drive change across the construction industry. We will ensure people are exposed to working and designing with timber, as well as to using and enjoying buildings made with timber. This is the future and the way forward.

In respect of forestry and nature, planting trees will be hugely important in the coming years, with significantly increased afforestation a key part of our climate action plan. We must be careful of the impacts on the environment of planting forests. In the past, as a country we got this wrong. Forests have the potential to bring many environmental benefits, including cleaner air, increased biodiversity, important habitats for many species and flood storage, as well as recreational benefits. However, forestry can lead to many environmental problems when planted in the wrong place, or the wrong tree. Many forests planted on bogs, wetlands, uplands or marginal lands have had a detrimental impact on nature. In particular, single-species forests like Sitka spruce plantations are not the way forward.

I welcome the Government embracing this motion. I know the Minister of State gets this. This is a first step. The motion is coming in under the radar but this is big news for the future. It means a lot to the Green Party, An Comhaontas Glas, and, more important, to our country in tackling climate emissions. It is not party political and is a new chapter in an approach with innovative thinking at its centre. I am delighted to second the motion and speak in favour of it.