Farm organisations have welcomed movement on the commissioning of a major feasibility study aimed at developing Ireland's struggling wool market. In Budget 2021 €100,000 was secured for the assessment to establish whether or not a variety of Irish wool products can be progressed for national and international markets. The move comes at at time of significant challenge for the wool industry, as sheep farmers say current product returns don’t justify the additional work for farmers associated with packing and presenting wool for sale. ICSA Sheep Committee chairman Sean McNamara said: “We are pleased to see this €100,000 initiative come to life. The downfall in price, particularly in 2020, was not only catastrophic for sheep farmers, but it also resulted in so much of this valuable natural resource going to waste. This is something that must never be repeated.