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03 Apr 2026
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03 Apr 2026
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Hemp flax harvest not dissimilar to traditional group gathering methods
An Australian-based company has lobbied politicians including Ministers in Laois in an effort to get a licence to grow cannabis hemp for industrial use in Laois.
Laois Chamber of Commerce has also assisted a company called Hektacres Advantage in its effort to obtain a hemp growing licence from the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HRPA).
The company has met or contacted, Charlie Flanagan, former Minister Justice and Equality, Senator Pippa Hackett, super junior Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and the Marine and Sean Fleming, Minister of State at the Department of Finance.
The meetings or contacts took place during the summer of 2020 and were facilitated by the Chamber in its capacity as a registered lobbying body.
Dep Flanagan spoke about his correspondence.
"I meet many companies and individuals and I always try to promote my home county in any way I can. Current discussions are commercially sensitive and delicate so I can’t really elaborate at present," he told the Leinster Express.
He added that the project is earmarked for Laois.
The other politicians have so far declined to comment on the project nor has the company.
The HRPA said it doesn’t comment or release information on any licence applications being made to them or under review that is policy for all application be it for medicines or hemp etc.
The HRPA says licences to grow hem in Ireland have grown rapidly in recent years. Just 7 were granted in 2016 but 60 were obtained last year.
More than 50 of the licences granted relate to the Finola hemp variety which is used to produce hemp oil.
The company has yet to a Leinster Express query.
Hemp is a variety of the Cannabis sativa plant grown for industrial use. Hemp is used to make a variety of commercial and industrial products, including rope, textiles, clothing, shoes, food, paper, bioplastics, insulation, and biofuel.
Details about the plans to grow hemp in Laois were published on the Register of Lobbying.
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