The Irish Bio Energy Association's Wood Energy conference officially opened in Laois today, 07 October.

The Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with special responsibility for forestry, Tom Hayes TD, highlighted the increasing importance of the use of wood fuel from Ireland's forests.

Minister Hayes said: "Energy use accounted for over one third of the total harvest and this shows the very close linkages that there are between the wood products on the one side and forest-based biomass on the other."

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The Minister of State also drew attention to the current Forestry Programme 2014-2020.

He said: "The Programme contains some ambitious targets, including provision for 44,000 hectares of new forests, which will help to sustain the production of forest-based biomass into the future.

"In addition, my Department is allocating funds to support 700 kilometres of new forest roads over the same period. Without forest roads, we will not be able to bring this valuable forest resource to market."

(CD/JP)