The recent European Wool Day Conference held in Co. Kerry heard several calls to remove the VAT applied to wool products.

The conference at the Meadowlands Hotel, Tralee, brought together farmers, processors, researchers, makers, designers, policymakers, and industry leaders from Ireland, Europe and beyond.

The event focused on wool’s role in sustainability, circular economy development and rural livelihoods.

Panel discussions on the day examined the role of policy in the future of wool, along with options to add value.

VAT

During one panel, Patrick Temple of Magee Weaving suggested the removal of VAT on wool products.

He pointed to the sustainable properties of wool such as biodegradability, breathability, and insulation.

He also proposed the introduction of a waste tax on non-sustainable textiles or manmade fibres.

Kevin Dooley from Dooley's Wool also called on the government to reduce the 23% VAT rate on wool products.

"There shouldn't be a price to become sustainable, so if somebody goes in to buy a roll of wool insulation or a pillow, we should be at an even price point with our competitors, which is synthetic [fibres]," he said.

The sold-out conference also heard numerous calls for the European Commission to change the classification of wool as a waste product.

In 2002, following a foot and mouth disease outbreak, raw wool was reclassified by the EU as a category three waste product, along with animal carcasses.

The Animal By-Products Regulation, designed to prevent disease transmission, is also applied to wool from healthy animals.

This means that farmers must cover the cost of storing, cleaning, or disposing of wool.

Wool products

Dinny Galvin, a sheep farmer from Lispole in west Co. Kerry, said that the current classification of wool as a waste product needs to change.

"From a farmer's perspective, we need to get the value back to the farmer on the ground.

"If the farmer isn't making any money, they don't have a son or a daughter who will take it up," he said.

Galvin, who is chair of the West Kerry Scotch Mountain Sheep Breeders group, said the rising age profile of farmers is a big challenge for the sector.

The farmer, who has a strong interest in sustainability and the circular bioeconomy, pointed to the many uses for wool, including in house building.

"The best quality wool in the world should be used for textiles, garments, pillows and duvets." he said.

"But there's a lot of poor quality wool there as well that could be used for insulation."

Sandra Spethmann, a Kerry-based farmer from Curraghmore Farm and the Wise Wool Project, also stressed the importance of creating roadmaps for young farmers to enable them to see the business opportunities and keep young farmers on the ground.