Tony Killeen TD, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food with responsibility for Forestry, has told forestry industry experts from throughout Europe that failure with regard to climate change is not an option.Speaking at the opening of the European Forest Institute (EFI) Conference in Dublin Castle, Minister of State Killeen TD, spoke of the need for European countries through the EFI to work together and pool resources to seek solutions to climate change and to advance our knowledge base. The Clare T.D. said: "The EFI is gradually becoming a European Forest laboratory without walls, where resources are shared and solutions found.
“Ireland's full membership of the EFI will open up a new relationship with other member countries. I will follow closely the role that Ireland and the EFI can play together in advancing the European forest knowledge base”, added Minister of State Killeen. He thanked the Chairman of the EFI, Konstantin von Teuffel, and the Director, Dr. Risto Paivinen, and the entire EFI membership for giving Ireland the privilege of hosting the conference.
The EFI is an independent non-governmental organisation conducting European forest research. The Institutes' work forms an extensive researcher network across Europe, promoting and conducting research on forests, forestry and forestry products. There are three Irish associate members of the EFI (UCD, Coillte and the Forest Service of DAFF).
