Minister Doyle met with joint managing directors Pat and Mike Glennon and had the opportunity to see the company’s recent €13m investment in value-added secondary processing at the mill.
The visit aimed to highlight the importance of the sawmilling sector to the Irish economy and afforded the minister the opportunity to engage with Glennon Brothers on the key issues facing the sawmilling and wider forest products sector.
These issues include Brexit, the importance of achieving planting targets, and positive measures to increase the mobilisation of wood, especially from private growers.
“While I am well aware of the many challenges facing the timber sector I found it really useful to meet the Glennons and hear first-hand their concerns,” said the minister.
“The facility here is world class and the technology employed to optimise the use of each log is very impressive. Forestry now employs 12,000 people right around the country.
“The government is committed to investing further in the forestry sector and I am pleased to see a steady increase in the afforestation levels in the last two years, which will provide the raw material for the sector in the future.”
Glennon Brothers said as it imported logs from the UK and exports sawn wood to the UK the issue of Brexit was a key concern for it and all other sawmills and panel producers in Ireland.
The sector will be invited to the next all-island sectoral dialogue to tease through the various issues around Brexit.
Pat Glennon said the company looked forward to working with the minister to maximising the potential of the sector.