Debate contribution: Nature Recovery: Divis and the Black Mountain
Debate contribution by Mr Andrew Muir on .
- MLA
- Mr Andrew Muir
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 25 March 2025
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Nature Recovery: Divis and the Black Mountain
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4866652
Read the official Assembly record
Text
The National Trust, with local communities and partners, is undertaking the Divis — A View to the Future project for both people and nature. It is intended to deliver accessible urban upland green spaces where people and place thrive together in a healthy, nature-rich and wild landscape. The project is being funded by my Department's environment fund, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Garfield Weston Foundation and the National Trust. To date, the project has been gathering scientific information to inform the development of habitat restoration plans. It is anticipated that a peatland restoration plan will be released and work commenced in autumn 2025. New pond areas are due to be created by March 2026. Improved visitor facilities and enhanced access to the hills are a key part of the project. This will include the establishment of a 1·5-kilometre Glencairn route connecting Ballygomartin to the existing path network on Divis and Black Mountain. Planning permission was granted for the project in February, and works are due to commence on-site from summer 2025. The project provides a great example of connecting communities and people to nature and providing outdoor recreation opportunities that will help enhance the mental health and well-being of citizens. It also delivers important space for nature.
208 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).
- 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 | 0.01 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.29 | No |
| 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 | 0.74 |
| Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits | 0.26 |
| 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 12:08 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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