Debate contribution: Forests: Signage
Debate contribution by Mr Andrew Muir on .
- MLA
- Mr Andrew Muir
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 4 February 2025
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Forests: Signage
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4779464
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I thank the Member for his question. I am satisfied that information signage in respect of deer management practices on my Department's Forest Service estate is effective and complies with public health and safety risk management. In response to the question, if Members have particular concerns, I am happy for those to be raised with me personally to see what more we can do in that area. Forest Service displays information signage during its deer-culling season from September to April at entrances to the Department's forests with high visitor numbers and large deer populations. The signage is not a public control measure for people's safety; rather, it is intended to inform users exercising their statutory right of pedestrian access that they may encounter authorised personnel in the forest undertaking deer-control activities and to follow the advice. Where sporting rights, including deer stalking, are exercised in a forest setting, there is no legal requirement for signage to be displayed. However, there is a requirement to meet health and safety obligations. That includes managing any associated risks to the safety of visitors to the forest.
183 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 (0.69).
- 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 | 0.69 | 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 | 1.00 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
| Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy | 0.00 |
| Sport (including the GAA), the arts and cultural bodies | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:52 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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