To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to outline the benefits that will arise from the establishment of the NI Government Mournes Strategic Group.

Mr Muir

I decided to establish the Northern Ireland Government Mournes strategic group to provide a platform for Departments and local government to work collectively to provide strategic leadership and advice on strategic issues impacting on the delivery of a sustainable future for the Mournes. Through the establishment of the group, I am putting in place the leadership and coordination needed to respond effectively. This is about bringing the right people together to deliver real, practical outcomes: protecting the environment; supporting sustainable economic activity; and ensuring the long-term resilience of the Mournes. The purposes of the group include: facilitation and enabling of conservation and enhancement of the natural beauty and amenities of the Mournes; conservation of wildlife, historic objects and natural phenomena within the Mournes; promotion of the enjoyment of the public in the Mournes; provision and maintenance of public access to the Mournes. It is also about understanding, championing and supporting rural communities in the Mournes, alongside sustainable farming and commitments to drinking water supply.

Mr Muir

The implementation of environmental plans and strategies, such as the environmental improvement plan, the peatland strategy and the draft nature recovery strategy, will all benefit the Mournes. Initiatives to implement the wildfires Northern Ireland strategic action plan will support habitat restoration alongside the development of wildfire management and response plans for the eastern Mournes. Work has commenced on the development of an updated outdoor recreation plan for Northern Ireland, which will offer benefits for the Mournes. Alongside that, we are delivering the Farming with Nature package. The first phase, the Farming with Nature transition scheme, offers support to a wide range of practical actions to improve biodiversity, protect water quality and contribute to climate resilience and farm sustainability. In addition to that, we will roll out further elements of Farming with Nature and will continue to engage with people, including through the strategic forum, which meets for the first time on Wednesday.

Ms Forsythe

Minister, I live in the Mournes and love the Mourne Mountains area very much. I really care about the issue. There is a bit of a perception among local people that, in forming the group, there was a helicopter view of bringing together people who work for different organisations, whereas there was very little engagement with or participation by local people. Do you have any more detail on how you will develop the group by using the lived experience of those who use the mountains to walk or run in, those who farm the land and the trustees to make sure that that experience is carried forward and that the group is bought into by local people?

Mr Muir

Thank you, Diane. The whole principle is about taking a bottom-up approach. We have the Forever Mournes partnership, and this is an opportunity for it to escalate things for resolution. The Forever Mournes partnership will be at the heart of this. It has done good work, but what was really required was a forum for it to bring things to government for resolution. That is what we are seeking to do, and I am proud to chair the group.

Mr McGrath

I thank the Minister for those details. Of course, bringing any number of organisations together is really important in order to deliver on the ground. Sometimes, however, people get strategic oversight group fatigue. They see lots of groups coming together, but tangible outcomes on the ground can be slow to reach them. Can you give some assurance that people will see outcomes that will make a credible difference, allow us to enjoy the Mournes, bring people in and protect the environment?

Mr Muir

That is my desire. The first meeting of the group is on Wednesday. Thus far, the council has not nominated anyone. Hopefully, it will do that before Wednesday, because we have to do this together. It has to be a collective effort. I am happy to lead it, but other parts of government, including local government, have a role. Collectively, we need to take on that leadership role and deliver for the Mournes, as they deserve.