Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) with responsibility for Forestry, Farm Safety and Horticulture, Niall Collins TD, has welcomed the inaugural meeting of an implementation group made up of government departments and state agencies to advance the final report of the Timber in Construction Steering Group.

Minister Collins said: "This first meeting marks the next phase in the Government's ambition to accelerate the safe use of timber in construction in Ireland. The task now is to implement the recommendations and build on the extensive work carried out by the Timber in Construction Steering Group while maintaining momentum towards increasing the use of sustainable wood and mass engineered timber construction in Ireland."

The initial coordination session brought together representatives of the lead departments, public bodies and agencies responsible for delivering the report's seven priority recommendations. Chaired by DAFM, these coordination meetings will allow leads to jointly map pathways for implementation and address potential barriers.

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The Steering Group's reports and studies are intended to provide practical guidance and concrete actions for the sector. Two new studies—supporting the adoption of mass engineered timber (MET) and the development of a national specification—have just been published.

The group's chair leading these studies, Dermot O'Donnell added: "These two reports provide a strong evidence base, and a clear practical pathway for the safe responsible adoption of mass timber in Ireland. Our focus was to turn international evidence and best practice into solutions appropriate to Ireland's regulatory context. This work provides a foundation for greater confidence and certainty across the sector, supporting the increased use of mass timber where it can be delivered safely, sustainably and at scale."

The Mass Engineered Timber Study for Ireland—State-of-the-art Review of Irish and International Standards and Guidance, and Recommendations for a National Technical Specification—has been submitted by the Steering Group to the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI). The NSAI has agreed to develop a National Technical Specification and is now inviting expressions of interest to join a new MET technical committee to scope the potential for a National MET standard.