Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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1261.To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans for a national action plan for the development of an indigenous wool industry, arising from the Review of Market Opportunities for Irish-Grown Wool-Based Products, which was published in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter.[34968/24]

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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1262.To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of the implementation of the recommendations of the 2022 Review of Market Opportunities for Irish-Grown Wool-Based Products; the details of any recommendations currently being followed up on by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter.[34969/24]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1261 and 1262 together.

The key recommendation of the review cited by the Deputy was the establishment of an independent, all-Island Irish Grown Wool Council. This Council was to be industry-led to champion Irish wool and to develop the brand domestically and internationally.

The review also recommended that membership be broadly based and include a range of direct and indirect industry stakeholders on a voluntary basis. Members would therefore comprise a mix of primary producers and stakeholders, including commercial enterprises to fund research and marketing, and to advise on the scaling of micro businesses. The review envisaged that funding for the Council would be generated by an annual membership subscription, while corporate members could sponsor additional activities.

The review further recommended the creation of a wool hub, where academic researchers and commercial entities would collaborate on research projects. This hub would promote innovation through complimentary research and incorporate an independent, wool-testing facility to set standards and substantiate promotional claims.

The Irish Grown Wool Council was launched on 5 April 2023 in line with the recommendations set out above. The launch was well attended with representation from all sectors of the wool industry, including primary producers, farming organisations and industry from Ireland and Northern Ireland. As proposed in the review, the Council is independent, and consequently I do not hold a position on it.

Regarding the recommendation relating to the creation of a wool hub, I am pleased to say that this group was also launched on 5 April 2023 and is headed up by the Circular Bioeconomy Cluster South-West at Munster Technological University (Kerry Campus).

Although the Irish Grown Wool Council is an independent body, I am supportive of it and I have allocated €30,000 in start up seed funding to it. I am optimistic that over time it will enable stakeholders across the island of Ireland to realise the potential of wool as a natural, sustainable and versatile material. The Council's goal is to generate a roadmap to address the current challenges and create future opportunities for indigenous Irish wool.

As mentioned, as the Irish Grown Wool Council is independent of my Department, I suggest that the Deputy contacts the organisation directly for an overview of its current activities and plans for the development of the sector.