Pauline O'Reilly (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I really appreciate the opportunity to speak to the Minister today. I am from the west of Ireland. I absolutely recognise the challenges that are there for sheep farmers. It is very important to note that prices have increased since the Minister was requested by this Chamber to be here. That is very welcome.

I will speak first about the findings of the wool feasibility study. It is not true to say the Government is not doing anything. It is responding to the wool feasibility study, for a start, and I know that the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, has put funding behind the Wool Council, and that is very welcome. We need to get that message out there to farmers because, ultimately, we need to find a market, and it is not just about the market for meat but also about the market for wool itself. That is what I will predominantly concentrate my comments on.

From a green point of view, wool is a natural product and has been used for centuries by humans as a warm insulation material, in clothing, bedding and housing. That recognition has kind of fallen off in recent decades, but we need to get back to looking at what those properties are and developing a market for wool. Across the world, natural fibres are receiving attention now for their sustainability as we are right in the middle of a climate crisis and a biodiversity crisis. I think that wool can play a really significant role. It has unique natural properties. Sheep's wool is one of these natural fibres and its renewable resources are widely used in a range of applications, as I have mentioned, insulation being one. That is not to say that it does not have an environmental or carbon footprint, but it is part of nature's shorter term cycle than, for example, fossil fuel-based products, so it cannot be put into the same category, and it is important to recognise that. When we look at the sheep industry in the round, the most environmental thing we can do is to find an outlet for each part in the product life cycle. It is obvious that current wool pricing is not making it an economic activity in itself and that only large, dedicated thin-fibre flock herds such as those in Australia justify sheep farming dedicated just to the production of wool. I know there are very few people who concentrate just on sheep farming, particularly in the west. Elsewhere, including Ireland, it is therefore a byproduct, as I have said. We must then present wool that is about maintaining quality, avoiding dampness and separating the low-quality elements and contaminants. That can further reduce its value, and that needs to be recognised.

There are different kinds of wool all over the planet. We know that Irish wool is not of the grade that is used predominantly in clothing, even though in some parts of the west of Ireland it is used in clothing. It has been used particularly as carpet: 75% carpet, 10% textiles, 10% waste and only 5% craft yarn. That craft yarn, I think, is an area we could really expand on. I see small producers in Galway, Mayo and Clare producing craft wool. That, I think, is something we can sell, not just for itself but also for tourism.

I wanted to take this opportunity to speak to the Minister because it is really important that there is always a Green Party Member to speak about anything to do with agriculture. Sometimes people are inclined to think that the Green Party is not supportive of agriculture, and that is absolutely not the case. What we really have to do is be responsible and say that there should not be byproducts that are not used and that we do not get any economic activity out of. If we rear sheep, every part of the sheep has to be used, including wool. We committed in the programme for Government that we would support the industry. That is what the Minister and the Minister of State, Senator Hackett, have been doing. Of course, we are starting on a road now that is not at its conclusion. Sheep farmers need an awful lot more, but I know the engagement is there and I am certainly willing to play my part, and the Green Party is willing to play its part, to ensure there is a proper income for farmers, regardless of the type of farming in which they are involved.