Minister Of State Wallace Addresses New Coford Council
Ms Mary Wallace TD, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food with responsibility for Forestry, today addressed the first meeting of the newly appointed Council for COFORD (National Council for Forest Research and Development), a State agency under the aegis of her Department.
Welcoming the new Council, the Minister of State took the opportunity to "formally recognise the outstanding work of the previous Council which has certainly made a huge contribution to forestry here in Ireland". The Minister of State noted that COFORD has been at the forefront of research into the contribution that the forestry sector makes to the economy, the environment and society generally in Ireland, commenting in particular on its work on environmental issues such as climate change and the role of forestry in that regard. She added that she would like to see COFORD expanding the 'development' aspect of its remit.
Following the Council meeting, Minister of State Wallace formally launched the latest COFORD report Engineered Wood Products in Ireland, produced by the Wood Technology Centre in the University of Limerick and by BRE (Building Research Establishment) in the UK, edited by Bill Robinson. Commenting on the report, Minister of State Wallace said: "There is food for thought in this report for all sectors of the forest industry in Ireland, particularly for growers to realise the importance of growing quality wood, and of course for the processing and end using sectors to realise the opportunities that Engineered Wood Products in Ireland identifies."
Note for Editors
The composition of the new Council is as follows:
Michael Lynn (Chairperson)
Woodfab Timber Ltd
Pat Hennessy
Irish Farmers Association
John Joe O'Boyle
Forest Service Northern Ireland
Michael Glennon
Glennon Sawmills
Willie Fitzgerald
Enterprise Ireland
John McCarthy
None so Hardy Nurseries
Donal Whelan
Irish Timber Growers Association
Tim Crowley
Coillte Teoranta
Pierce Buckley
Sustainable Energy Ireland
Nuala Ní Fhlatharta
Teagasc
Diarmuid McAree
Forest Service, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
Dympna Furlong
Forest Service, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
Date Released: 27 March 2008
