Forestry has a key role to play in helping Ireland meet its housing needs and climate change targets.

This was the central message highlighted during a visit by minister responsible for housing, local government and planning, John Cummins, to the £18m state-of-the-art Alexanders Timber Design in Irvine, North Ayrshire, part of Irish-owned Glennon Brothers.

The visit to the timber frame home manufacturing facility was held as part of the government’s St Patrick’s Day Global Outreach programme. It highlighted the need for a more joined-up approach to forestry, sawmilling and using locally-sourced timber in construction. Using homegrown timber helps meet housing demand, lock away carbon, reduce embodied emissions and strengthen the domestic supply chain.

Forestry has a key role to play in helping Ireland meet its housing needs and climate change targets. This was the central message highlighted during a visit by minister responsible for housing, local government and planning, John Cummins TD, to the £18m state-of-the-art Alexanders Timber Design in Irvine, North Ayrshire, part of Irish-owned Glennon Brothers. Pictured at the visit were L-R: Mike Glennon, joint managing director, Glennon Brothers, with minister of state with responsibility for housing, local government and planning, John Cummins TD.

The facility showcased Glennon Brothers’ integrated ‘from forest to front door’ model using advanced robotics, digital design systems and precision engineering. Much of the timber used in the manufacturing process is sourced from forests within a 70-mile radius, processed at Glennon Brothers’ sawmill in nearby Troon and then converted into timber frame homes at the Irvine facility for housing developments across Scotland’s central belt.

Mike Glennon of Glennon Brothers discussed with Minister Cummins the need for more commercial forests in Ireland to meet future demand for construction-grade timber, alongside wider action to address bottlenecks in housing delivery across planning, infrastructure and skills.

He said: “With just 2,500 hectares planted in 2025, against a government target of 8,000 hectares and climate change target of 16,000, Ireland must increase forest cover to avoid significant EU penalties. At present, only 30% of planting is suitable for housebuilding, limiting the supply of timber needed for the construction sector.

“As an Irish company with deep roots in Longford and major operations across Ireland and Scotland, Glennon Brothers is continuing to invest in the capacity, skills and manufacturing needed to support greater use of homegrown timber in construction.”

L-R: Consul general of Ireland in Scotland, Jerry O’Donovan; minister of state with responsibility for housing, local government and planning, John Cummins TD; Mike Glennon, joint managing director of Glennon Brothers; Breda Doherty, Enterprise Ireland Scotland lead; Jim Patterson, head of timber frame at ATD; Sarah Keating, vice consul of Ireland in Scotland; and Daragh Keran, Dempsey Timber Engineering.

Speaking during the visit, Minister Cummins said: “Scotland and Ireland have built a strong reputation for innovation in timber frame construction and modern methods of housebuilding, and facilities such as Alexanders Timber Design show how this expertise can help deliver sustainable homes at scale.

“I recently visited offsite construction facilities and it is great to see innovation driving increased housing delivery. Last year Ireland saw a 20% increase in output to 36,000 homes and 70% of all scheme houses delivered were via MMC, predominantly timber frame construction.

“I want to compliment Glennon Brothers for the work they are doing in Scotland and in Ireland. This facility demonstrates how we can connect forestry, processing and modern methods of construction to build a more resilient housing system that meets the needs of our growing population.“

L-R: Jim Patterson, head of timber frame at ATD; minister of state with responsibility for housing, local government and planning, John Cummins TD; and Mike Glennon, joint managing director of Glennon Brothers.

Established in Longford in 1913, Glennon Brothers is a third-generation Irish timber business with major operations in both Ireland and Scotland.

The company operates across timber processing, timber frame home manufacturing and energy, with sites in Longford, Fermoy and Enniskillen, alongside its Scottish operations.

Glennon Brothers continues to invest in timber frame manufacturing capacity in Ireland, through Dempsey Timber Engineering in Longford, and in Scotland, through Alexanders Timber Design in Irvine.