Two and a half years after its establishment, the interdepartmental and industry Timber in Construction Steering Group (TCSG), chaired by Professor Owen Lewis, has published its final report, setting out a roadmap to expand the use of timber in Irish construction while ensuring high safety standards.

The 29-page report makes seven key recommendations that, according to Minister of State with responsibility for forestry Niall Collins, “form a roadmap towards safe regulation and increased use of timber.”

While many European countries now regard timber as a mainstream construction and energy material, Ireland has traditionally relied on masonry. Acknowledging this reality, Prof Lewis writes in the foreword that the TCSG has “sought to balance ambition with realism.”

Seven recommendations

The report identifies seven priority actions:

• Develop a national specification for the use of mass-engineered timber to provide greater consistency and clarity for designers, builders and regulators.
• Establish an interim national procurement framework for specialist advisors to assist building control authorities and fire officers in ensuring compliance with building regulations.
• Ensure Government leads by example through the design and construction of timber buildings.
• Introduce embodied carbon targets and require whole-life carbon assessments during project design and procurement.
• Support the creation of a national knowledge, development and innovation centre for Ireland’s timber sector.
• Encourage greater use of mass-engineered timber through targeted grants and tax incentives.
• Integrate timber construction as a core component of architecture and engineering education.

The report stresses that implementation will require sustained collaboration between Government and industry, backed by clear accountability and long-term commitment. It also recommends establishing a governance structure to oversee delivery, with the measures incorporated into future Climate Action Plans.

Valuable work, but a critical omission

Since 2023, the TCSG has brought together expertise from 64 organisations and institutions, producing a range of technical and policy publications that have filled significant knowledge gaps within the sector.

However, one issue remains largely absent from the report: the long-term supply of Irish-grown timber.

Current afforestation rates averaging just 2,000 hectares annually between 2022 and 2026 point towards a dramatic reduction in timber availability after 2035. In his 2024 report, Impact of Forest Policy and Forest Regulations on Future Commercial Timber Supply and the Sustainability of Timber Processing, Henry Phillips warned that timber production is heading towards a “cliff edge”.

One of the steering group’s stated objectives was to maximise the use of home-grown timber, yet the final report contains no substantive discussion of Ireland’s collapsing afforestation programme, which this year could record its lowest planting levels since the 1930s.

Although afforestation policy lay outside the group’s formal remit, the report does acknowledge that sustained planting will be essential to avoid shortages of Irish-grown timber as demand increases.

Housing ambitions depend on timber supply

The report highlights timber frame construction as a key element in addressing Ireland’s housing shortage, citing annual housing requirements of more than 50,000 homes, rising to 60,000 per year by 2030. It also notes that timber frame accounts for more than 90% of new scheme housing in Scotland.

The comparison, however, also underlines the challenge. Scotland has maintained annual afforestation levels of more than 10,000 hectares in recent years, providing a far stronger foundation for long-term timber supply.

As Prof Lewis notes, none of the report’s recommendations can succeed in isolation.

Case for a Forestry Development Agency

A similarly coordinated approach is required across Ireland’s forestry and forest products sector.

Few industries are as interconnected as forestry, where the performance of each link in the value chain—from nursery owners and forest growers to harvesting contractors, sawmills and processors—determines the viability of the entire sector.

Representatives from across the industry, including forest owners, foresters, sawmillers, forestry academics and nursery operators, have repeatedly called for the establishment of an independent Forestry Development Agency to provide strategic leadership and promote sectoral development.

Minister of State Niall Collins, who now has responsibility for implementing the TCSG recommendations, should give serious consideration to these proposals. Forestry remains Ireland’s only major natural resource without a dedicated development agency.

Private timber supply surges as Coillte harvest declines

The latest Central Statistics Office figures reveal that total timber supply increased by 18% in 2025 compared with 2024, largely reflecting the impact of Storm Éowyn. However, the composition of that supply surprised many within the sector.

Rather than Coillte providing the bulk of the additional timber, private forests accounted for the increase. Private log supply rose by a record 48% to 2.95 million cubic metres, while Coillte’s harvest declined by 6%, marking its second-lowest annual production in the past decade.

For comparison, in 2016 Coillte supplied 2.59 million cubic metres while private forests produced just 0.86 million cubic metres.

Forestry companies interviewed said the scale of the increase exceeded expectations. Most believe sawmills aggressively sourced timber from privately owned windblown forests following Storm Éowyn, with favourable prices encouraging many growers to harvest. Export markets also recovered quickly during the first half of the year.

Even so, some questioned whether harvesting and haulage capacity existed to support such a large increase, suggesting that a 20% rise would have been more realistic.

Higher volumes, lower returns

Despite the sharp increase in harvested volume, timber values remained largely unchanged.

The value of wood removed from Irish forests reached €238 million in 2025, just 1% higher than in 2024 despite the 18% increase in output.

The weaker market was expected, but much of the decline in returns reflects substantially higher harvesting costs. On windblown sites, harvesting costs can be 35-45% higher than in conventional standing timber operations.

Managing storm damage

The Irish Timber Growers Association (ITGA), in partnership with the Irish Forestry Unit Trust (IForUT), is holding a field day on managing windblown forests at Kiltynaskellan Forest, Co Cavan, on Friday, 26 June.

The event will examine the impact of Storm Éowyn since January 2025 and demonstrate approaches to windblow management, harvesting, timber marketing and reforestation.

Officials from the Department of Agriculture will also outline the Reconstitution Scheme for Windblow and discuss forest protection measures, including the threat posed by pests and diseases.

Attendance is limited for safety reasons and advance booking is essential. ITGA members will receive priority, although non-members will be accommodated where possible. Applications should be submitted by email to [email protected] before 22 June to receive event details, meeting points and the full programme.

Original Source: Timber in Construction Steering Group