Build with Wood Conference – From Policy to Practice

 

 

• Opportunity for Ireland to significantly accelerate decarbonisation of its built environment by adopting timber more widely to support the delivery of low carbon homes of the future
• Minister of State Michael Healy Rae, TD, announces plans to establish a new Timber Knowledge Development and Innovation facility
• National and international experts from the timber and construction industries and Government Departments gathered at Beyond the Trees Avondale today to discuss and advance the use of wood in construction in Ireland

 

Wednesday, 15 October 2025 – Coillte and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine brought over 200 national and international experts together today from the timber and construction industries, the scientific community, and Government departments to discuss and promote increasing the use of wood in construction. Timber will play a significant role in building sustainable homes and make a significant contribution to achieving our national climate targets.   Guest of honour, Minister of State with responsibility for Forestry, Farm Safety and Horticulture, Michael Healy Rae, TD, addressed the delegates at the third Build with Wood conference, which was moderated by architect and broadcaster Dermot Bannon at Beyond the Trees Avondale, Co. Wicklow.

 

Minister Healy Rae today announced the plans to establish a new Timber Knowledge Development and Innovation facility co-funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, which will be co-ordinated by Enterprise Ireland to drive expertise, research, and innovation in the use of timber across the construction sector.

 

Support for the establishment of this new facility is a key recommendation of the Timber in Construction Steering Group which builds on the work of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, COFORD and Enterprise Ireland and since the first Build with Wood conference in 2022. The Steering Group determined that this facility will play a key role in supporting the transition towards more sustainable building practices. Focusing on the need for regulatory change, the Steering Group has also highlighted the urgency of developing national specifications and supporting frameworks to facilitate the greater use of timber in construction in compliance with the Building Regulations. In addition, it calls for the integration of carbon targets and performance metrics within the public procurement processes. Together, these measures will create the conditions necessary to accelerate the safe, compliant, and widespread use of timber in construction.

Today’s event builds on the momentum from two previous conferences, exploring the carbon benefits of using more wood in construction and the key actions needed to achieve this by Government, industry, and other key stakeholders. The Timber in Construction Steering group was established to examine the regulatory challenges and changes to building standards needed to increase the use of timber in construction.  The Steering group will shortly publish its report in which it will make a series of recommendations to promote and facilitate greater use of wood in construction in Ireland.

Adopting more timber in Ireland’s built environment offers a clear pathway to meeting embodied carbon reduction targets, while unlocking the environmental and economic benefits already realised across Europe where timber construction is a more widely accepted form of building.

 

The conference also showcased the work to date on an exemplar Build with Wood project which Coillte is collaborating on with South Dublin County Council. This project will see the construction of 27 age-friendly homes, using low carbon homegrown timber from Ireland’s forests.  The project has the potential to become a model for Local Authority developments across the country, with the key learnings around the use of homegrown timber to drive maximum sustainability benefit.

Speaking at the conference today, Minister of State Michael Healy Rae, TD, said “By fostering greater use of wood in construction, we have an opportunity to both contribute to solving Ireland’s housing crisis, and to do it in a more sustainable way.  We have a lot of catching up to do with the rest of Europe in terms of the amount of wood we use in construction, and we need to seize this opportunity without delay.  I applaud the work of my own Department in establishing the Timber in Construction Steering Group and the role of industry in supporting its work and I look forward to the imminent publication of the final report which will be submitted to Government in the coming weeks.”

“I’m pleased to announce that one of the key recommendations supports the establishment of a Timber Knowledge Development and Innovation facility as a permanent, cross-sector centre of excellence to support market and product research, development and innovation for industry. I believe this will contribute greatly to the practical advancement of the use of sustainably grown timber in construction in Ireland.”

Minister Healy Rae also welcomed the publication today of a new report from the Timber in Construction Steering Group on ‘Market Opportunities for Timber in Construction in Ireland’ saying, “This report marks a pivotal step in unlocking the full economic and environmental potential of Ireland’s forestry and manufacturing industries. Undertaken through the Timber in Construction Steering Group, the report provides valuable insights on the potential for significant growth in our strong timber sector. There are real opportunities to increase the use of Irish timber in our Irish homes, and to add value to our natural grown resource through the use of wood in new products and innovative buildings. I welcome the fact that the sector actively engaged and contributed to the findings of this report. By identifying new market opportunities, we are building on Ireland’s strong legacy of sustainable forest management and world-class expertise, creating pathways for innovation, rural development, and a resilient economy.”

Imelda Hurley, CEO, Coillte, said “In the three years since this conference was established, we have moved from spotlighting the opportunity for Ireland to scale up timber in construction, to collaboration between government and industry, and today, to moving the debate from policy to practice.

 

At today’s conference we discussed the progress made on Coillte’s collaboration with South Dublin County Council on our exemplar Build with Wood project in Deansrath, Co. Dublin. I congratulate South Dublin County Council on progressing this innovative housing project which demonstrates that using sustainably grown Irish timber is a viable solution in housing delivery.”

 

“Today, we are focusing on the transformative potential of timber and highlight the next phase of work from the Timber in Construction Steering Group which is providing the platform for real progress. More than 60 organisations have contributed through technical studies, international reviews, and market research. This is about unlocking timber’s potential, not just as a material, but as a cornerstone of a low-carbon, climate-resilient construction sector.  Together, they are shaping a roadmap that is as ambitious as it is practical, bringing together education, demonstration and research to lay the foundation for sound regulation that will open up market demand, backed by data to ensure progress can be measured and accelerated to inspire confidence and innovation in the use of timber-based building solutions.”

 

Ms Hurley added: “We are proud to welcome key industry stakeholders to Beyond the Trees Avondale today. It is not only one of Coillte’s premiere visitor destinations, but it is also a great example of the use of wood in construction and therefore a highly appropriate venue for today’s gathering.”

 

Conference moderator architect and broadcaster Dermot Bannon said “It has been a pleasure to return to this conference today and hear the inputs from so many ‘timber in construction’ experts. Given that we know Ireland lags other European countries significantly in this regard, and with our critical need for large scale housing construction, it’s great to hear about the progress that’s been made since this conference was incepted.  Continued progress is needed to ensure Ireland continues to move ahead on this important agenda which can deliver both climate and sustainable, efficient housing solutions.”

 

Major themes from today’s Build with Wood conference include:

• Timber: Towards the Next Building Revolution
• Demonstrating the Potential for Homegrown in Timber Frame – Coillte SDCC Timber in Construction Housing Project Exemplar
• Regulatory Update – Developing Guidance for Timber in Ireland
• Modelling Timber Use and the Carbon Impact
• Decarbonising Construction – What Next for Homegrown Timber Use?
• Timber in Construction Steering Group – Next Steps Prof. J. Owen Lewis, Chair, Timber in Construction Steering Group
• Supply Chain Representatives Panel Discussion – from Policy to Practice Grower

 

Ends