Timber in Construction Steering Group’s Final Report Published

The Irish Green Building Council welcomes the publication of the interdepartmental and industry Timber in Construction Steering Group’s final report, marking a significant milestone in Ireland’s transition to a low‑carbon built environment.

The report outlines a series of priority actions designed to accelerate the safe, scalable adoption of timber in construction across Ireland, including:

• National Timber Specification — Development of a National Specification for Mass Engineered Timber to provide clarity and consistency for designers, builders and regulators, and the launch of an interim centralised procurement framework for specialist advisors to support Building Regulations compliance and early‑stage engagement with building control and fire officers.

• Government leadership — A commitment for public bodies to assess timber as a primary structural material at design stage for all projects, and to implement timber solutions where viable.

• Embodied carbon targets — Introduction of Whole Life Carbon Assessments within design and procurement, with progressively tightened embodied‑carbon thresholds across public projects ahead of forthcoming EU requirements.

• Knowledge & Innovation Facility — Support for establishing a national hub for innovation, training, industry–academia collaboration, and market development for Ireland’s timber sector.

• Education & skills development — Integration of timber as a core component of architectural and engineering education, complemented by CPD pathways for construction professionals.

• Incentives for early adoption — Targeted grants or tax measures to stimulate the uptake of Mass Engineered Timber in the Irish market.

Reacting to the launch, Pat Barry, CEO of the IGBC, said:

“The publication of these recommendations is an extremely positive first step in supporting the wider uptake of mass timber in developments across Ireland. We now need urgent investment in the delivery of these actions — particularly in the acceleration of the development of the National Technical Specification for Mass Engineered Timber.”

These recommendations directly support one of the three priority actions identified in Building a Zero Carbon Ireland – A Roadmap to Decarbonise Ireland’s Built Environment (2023): transitioning to lower‑embodied‑carbon materials, alongside prioritising reuse of existing buildings and leaner, more resource‑efficient design.

You can find the report here. 

Read also our Decarbonisation Roadmap here.