Leitrim councillor warns of a ‘sustainable, natural and healthy’ resource going to waste

Concerns were raised at a Manorhamilton Municipal District meeting over the growing issue of farmers discarding wool after shearing sheep, rather than making use of the resource.

Cllr Justin Warnock introduced a motion urging Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon TD to allocate funding to Teagasc, Skillnet, or both, to support sheep wool handling and classification courses.

He pointed out that Ireland is home to more than 36,000 sheep farmers, with around four million sheep sheared each year.

“We’re getting into a situation where it’s going to cause a problem. It’s a natural fibre and we should be using it for the betterment of our country,” he said.

“It’s unfortunate how we’ve gone so far with technology and we can’t use a fibre that’s sustainable, natural and healthy.”

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Warnock emphasised that improper handling is reducing the quality and value of wool, citing shortages faced by Irish wool-based businesses such as Aran sweater makers.

Positive steps are being taken to revive the Irish wool industry. Earlier this year, a new initiative funded by the Environmental Protection Agency was launched to research and revitalise the sheep wool sector, both in terms of industry and economic value.

The three-year programme, titled Regenerative Value Systems for Irish Grown Wool in Ireland, received over €650,000 in funding and began its research phase in late March.

“I would hope the Minister would take it on board,” Cllr Warnock continued. “There could be a winter course in wool handling.”

The motion received unanimous support from members of the Manorhamilton Municipal District.

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“This is a resource and there’s no market for it anymore,” said Cllr Gilmartin. “Numerous courses could be done, it’s about thinking outside the box because it is a valuable resource.”

Cllr Fallon, a sheep farmer himself, added that it is “shocking” to see how much the value of wool has fallen over the last two decades, especially considering how valuable it once was.