Debate contribution: Tree Protection Bill: Second Stage

Debate contribution by Mr Andrew McMurray on 21 September 2026.

MLA: Mr Andrew McMurray
Party at the time: Alliance Party
Date: 21 September 2026
Type: Debate contribution
Business: Private Members' Business
Heading: Tree Protection Bill: Second Stage
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 5742785

Text

I thank the Bill sponsor. I will stick to the generalities of the Bill, and I will not delve into any Abba quotations. A long time ago, the island of Ireland was covered in trees; in fact, it was said that a squirrel could walk the length and breadth of Ireland without setting foot on the ground. Unfortunately, today, Northern Ireland is one of the least wooded regions in Europe. Compared with Ireland and the UK, we are right at the bottom in tree and woodland cover. Turning that round will take a concerted effort, and I commend Minister Muir for bringing forward his tree planting action plan earlier this year to increase forest cover from 8·6% to 12% by 2050. We also need to do better at looking after the trees that we have. It is often said that the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, but the next best time is today. Ancient trees and woodlands are much older than that. They are an irreplaceable living heritage, but they are often threatened by inconsiderate development.
Yes.
I thank the Members for their interventions. The cartography interests me, and, if it is not on an interactive map, that should be addressed. Over the past seven decades, ancient woodlands have been destroyed at a frightening rate. Ancient trees and woodlands support rich ecosystems that have developed over centuries. Once an ancient tree is felled or an ancient woodland is destroyed, centuries of natural history are lost for ever. That matters because ancient trees and woodland provide unique ecosystem services that newer plantings cannot replicate. Many species depend on those special habitats and cannot easily colonise newer woods. Ancient trees and woodlands also play an important role in carbon storage, and they can preserve archaeological features such as ancient boundaries. There is so much more to ancient trees and woodlands than meets the eye, and it is important that we work harder to protect them. I commend my colleague Peter McReynolds for bringing forward this important Bill, which will strengthen legal protections for our oldest and most significant trees. I will leave it to Peter to go through the Bill in detail — I could not do it justice — but the tree preservation orders, the replacement of trees, the council inspections of replacement trees, the tree protection map, the long-established and ancient woodland provisions and the ecosystem services are all commendable aspects of it. Certainly, the Woodland Trust, which has been involved, is doing a great job throughout Northern Ireland. I am happy to support the Bill.

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

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