Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

No, I do not need you to add to it, I am grand.

The motion calls on the Government to "work with industry, third-level institutions and other State bodies to continue to increase knowledge among construction professionals and the wider public of the benefits of timber as a construction material[.]" I also agree with that. Like the Green Party, I support sustainable development. I have been reading up on this and looking at research in Finland, Norway and Sweden. There were major challenges in relation to Bostik and other glues and adhesives for cross-panelling and sticking of timber. Many of them are toxic and there are serious questions in the European Union about them. We need to be aware of that. It is a challenge if we are talking about sustainability but I am sure there are ways to overcome that.

The motion calls on the Government to "ensure significantly increased use of wood as a construction material through public procurement". I believe in all of that. It is important. Forestry can help with housing issues and challenges and in achieving climate goals. Increasing forestry and the use of timber in construction would be significant and help to address the housing crisis. Carbon is locked away in the fabric of buildings, so it is a virtuous cycle. That is a positive.

The Minister of State would know more than anyone about the protracted issues concerning forestry licensing and harvesting. They must continue to be addressed. We are making steady progress. The Minister of State inherited a system and had to develop systems with her officials in the Department. I acknowledge their engagement on that but more work has to be done. Investment in forestry and its relation to the infrastructure is one way to assist in making house building more sustainable and affordable while reducing Ireland's net emissions of greenhouse gases. We have no difficulty with that.

More timber-framed and modular houses can and should be built in Ireland and the practice has worked well in Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Austria, and in Poland recently I also saw modular housing.

We have an issue concerning Coillte. This is overlapping two aspects of the Private Members' business tonight, but Coillte should be incentivised to show more creativity and innovation and to promote wood products to support biodiversity and decarbonisation of our built environment. There is scope for that.

We need to be clear and unambiguous on the contentious issue of planting conifers. Planting conifers that grow quickly and capture carbon at a high rate is important for climate mitigation. We have to accept that. There is overwhelming public support generally and it makes economic and sustainable sense before planting trees to significantly increase our issues around climate. However, we need a higher level of broadleaves to provide for long-term carbon storage. Coillte is our State forestry board but there are a huge number of people in the private sector. It is about 55%, it is quite even. Coillte has impressive forestry but the private sector is involved. Sometimes those in the private forestry sector tell me they do not believe they are on an even keel and are not necessarily supported.

I supported the proposals. Irish forests are important for nature, biodiversity, human amenity, meeting our targets and for modular and fabricated housing. I ask one thing of the Minister of State. It is time for a national forestry board. We need a level playing field between the private sector and the public sector, including Coillte. It is surprising we do not have a national forestry board. I call for one tonight.