Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 19 January 2022
1988. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the timeframe for completion of the announced review of the Irish woollen industry; the amount of funding that has been allocated to the review; the terms of reference of the review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1852/22]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, a review of the potential demand for wool-based products such as for insulation and fertilisers in domestic and international markets is one of the initiatives included in the Programme for Government.
Following the €100,000 commitment for this review in Budget 2021, I initiated a public consultation in March 2021 to identify the terms of reference for the review. I also invited stakeholders to make recommendations in relation to prospective market opportunities for wool products on domestic and international markets.
The agreed terms of reference are:
- identification of market opportunities domestically and internationally for wool based products;
- carrying out economic feasibility and cost benefit analysis on proposed market opportunities;
- determining mechanisms that could be used to support industry initiatives;
- identification of potential research projects applicable to supporting the identified market opportunities.
In July 2021, through a competitive public procurement process, a Request for Tenders seeking service providers to carry out this review was published. I am very pleased to advise that I have appointed ‘The Agile Executive’ a consortium of experts from Munster Technological University and Donegal Yarns, to conduct the review.
The Agile Executive have been contracted to carry out the review in accordance with the Terms of Reference and will also be required to examine and evaluate the proposals received during the public consultation and report on their findings.
The report is due to be published in March 2022 and its recommendations will help focus the development of a robust policy roadmap for the Irish Wool Industry.
