Debate contribution: Tree Protection Bill: Second Stage

Debate contribution by Mr Paul Boggs on 21 September 2026.

MLA: Mr Paul Boggs
Party at the time: Sinn Féin
Date: 21 September 2026
Type: Debate contribution
Business: Private Members' Business
Heading: Tree Protection Bill: Second Stage
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 5742598

Text

I speak today as a Sinn Féin member of the Infrastructure Committee to briefly outline our position on the Bill at Second Stage. I thank the Bill sponsor for engaging so early with our team. When we engaged, I did not realise that I would be in the Chamber scrutinising the Bill. I thought that I would still be working upstairs for Cathal Boylan, but here we are. There is no doubt that our ancient woodlands and trees are an important part of the cultural fabric of this island as a whole. As well as that, we recognise and support the need to improve tree cover across the North, while understanding that it is an important issue that needs to be addressed right across the island of Ireland. The Bill sponsor is not in any way suggesting that the Bill will cover all the issues, but it will go some way to ensuring that we improve woodland and tree cover. I have already talked about our position on the fact that DAERA, the Forest Service and others need to do more in relation to the commitments that they have made previously, and I will not rehash that. I want to explore further with the Bill sponsor how the all-Ireland approach will work, because our ancient woodlands and tree cover do not stop at the border. Therefore, if we work on protections for those trees, we need to see it done on an equitable basis right across the island. Furthermore, trees have an important role in biodiversity, climate resilience, landscape quality and people's well-being; some Members have touched on that. The Infrastructure Minister is doing some work on how we can use trees more to tackle the impacts of climate change and adverse weather, and that ties into protecting trees as well as ensuring that we plant more down the line. While Sinn Féin will support the Bill at Second Stage, we are, however, mindful of potential issues that are mainly to do with the deliverability of the proposals and unintended consequences that may arise. One thing that MLAs raise, again and again, is the need to see a more efficient and effective planning system. Therefore, there is a need to ensure that the Bill strikes a balance between efficiency in planning and protecting ancient woodlands and improving tree cover. Similarly, right across the North, people want to see roads developed, more housing built and new schools and hospitals, and we need to be prudent when we scrutinise the Bill to ensure that we avoid further bureaucracy. Again, it is about striking a balance on those important issues. I have just come from a council. With the Dilapidation Bill that passed through the House some weeks ago, we and others raised concerns about handing more powers to councils while giving them less to fully deal with those powers. The Bill could be another example of that, and we need to be careful.
I will finish my point, and then I will give way. We say that we will provide training and that more officers will be employed. However, at the end of the day, anyone who engages with their local planning offices, whether through environmental health or something else, will know that a small issue can take a lot of time to deal with. We should be mindful that, while enforcing a TPO may seem like a simple thing, what it means on the ground may be different. I will give way to the Chair of the Committee.
I cannot disagree with the Chair of the Committee. I tried to deal with those issues when I was a councillor and got absolutely nowhere, simply because the resource was not there nor, most importantly — I know that the particular officers who deal with the matter in Derry City and Strabane District Council will not mind me saying this — was, at times, the expertise to deal with the cases. When they have not had enough caseload to build up the expertise, they cannot make progress. As I said, Sinn Féin is content to support the Bill at Second Stage. We look forward to scrutinising it at Committee. I thank the Bill sponsor for his early engagement, and we look forward to working with him. I will "leaf" it at that.

719 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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