Minister of State for forestry Michael Healy-Rae has met agriculture and forestry ministers in Finland and Latvia as part his engagements around St. Patrick's Day.

The minister is leading a series of engagements with government and private sector representatives in Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania (the latter three of which are often referred to as the Baltic states) as part of his St Patrick’s Day programme.

These countries have large forest cover, and the forestry sector accounts for a significant part of their economies.

Minister Healy-Rae's agenda includes meetings with two ministers: the Finnish Minister for Agriculture and Forestry Sari Essayah; and the Latvian Minister for Agriculture Armands Krauze.

The minister's visit also includes engagements with some non-profit organisations as well as companies that are active in the timber industry, including modular construction companies and manufacturers of machinery.

Minister Healy-Rae commented: "The St Patrick’s Day festival is celebrated globally. It offers a unique opportunity for the Irish government to build long-term relationships with our colleagues in Europe and beyond.

"Forests in Ireland are young, relative to our continental neighbours, and this visit offers an excellent opportunity to gain insights on different approaches to forestry," he added.

"The minister said: "I am delighted to meet Minister Krauze, and Minister Essayah to discuss areas of mutual interest, including sustainable forest management, timber innovation, and opportunities for deeper cooperation during Ireland’s upcoming EU presidency.

According to Minister Healy-Rae, the final report of the Timber in Construction Steering Group will be brought to cabinet "very soon".

He said the report will include recommendations for action to support the increased use of wood in construction, which will in turn support the house construction sector through the use of wood grown in Ireland.

"We have a world-class forest and timber industry right here in Ireland and we can take this to the next level through continuous engagement with our friends across Europe," Minister Healy-Rae said.

Minister Healy-Rae’s visit is taking place from 10 to 14 March with engagements in four countries, including:

A visit to RMK, Estonia’s state forest management agency, the country's equivalent to Coillte;
A visit to Harmet, Estonia’s largest modular timber construction company;
A meeting with Metsa Group, a major Finnish forest industry group;
A site visit at the Port of Riga with Irish company Combilift, to view Combilift’s machinery in action;
A site visit to a Latvian local timber processing company which has a focus on sustainability.