Member's statement: National Tree Week
Member's statement by Mr Peter McReynolds on .
- MLA
- Mr Peter McReynolds
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 26 November 2024
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- National Tree Week
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4677220
Read the official Assembly record
Text
National Tree Week is an opportunity for us all to reflect on the essential role that trees play in fighting climate change, preserving wildlife and biodiversity and improving our physical and mental health. Sadly, Northern Ireland is in a pretty poor state, with the worst woodland cover in the UK and Ireland and the lowest urban tree cover in the UK. We were also ranked twelfth worst for biodiversity loss out of 240 countries around the world in 2020. That is why I have been working with key stakeholders and partners on how to address those major issues since I was elected to the Assembly in May 2022. I am pleased to announce that there will be a public consultation on a Member's Bill to improve protections for trees across Northern Ireland. My proposals seek to strengthen the current legal protections for single trees, groups of trees and ancient and long-established woodland to protect them against the unnecessary loss of mature trees and woodlands in Northern Ireland. That is essential because the most important tree to plant today is the one that we planted yesterday, recognising the fact that not all trees are equal and established trees do so much more for our environment. I propose three enhancements: a strengthening of existing protections through the enhancement of tree preservation orders; the creation of a new "heritage tree" designation, acknowledging that trees are not just nice to look at but play a key role in society; and the safeguarding of ancient and long-established woodland and trees, with legal protection from permitted development. I am doing that because we have listed building status for important and prominent buildings, but we have no such protections for trees. Trees are irreplaceable and, once they are gone, they are, sadly, gone forever. The proposals on which I am consulting will help protect trees in the short term and long after I am gone. I look forward to reading the public's responses to the consultation, and I encourage everyone to respond to it. Hopefully, I will be able to take forward my ambitious, reasonable and clear proposals through the Assembly and, alongside colleagues, play my part in improving Northern Ireland's environment and biodiversity.
367 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.02 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.93).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.02 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.01 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.01 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.02 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.93 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.02 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-related subject | 0.99 |
| Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits | 0.01 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
| Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:35 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
Disagree with this assessment?
Classifications can be challenged. A person reads every challenge, and any change is recorded publicly above with its reason.