AQW 41789/22-27

Mr John Blair
Alliance Party
South Antrim

Tabled Date: 04/03/2026
Answered On Date: 12/03/2026
Priority Written: Yes

Question:
To ask the Minister for Infrastructure to detail (i) the reason why the trees on the M2 central reservation are being cut down, between the Rathbeg and Dunsilly Roundabouts, Antrim; and (ii) whether her Department has any plans to replace these trees.

Answer:

The tree plantation between the M2 carriageways from Dunsilly Roundabout to the junction at Antrim Area Hospital suffered significant storm damage, most notably during Storm Eowyn in early 2025. Subsequent surveys found that almost 30% of the 1970s conifer planting had been blown down and was unsuitable for the site, with further damage caused by later storms.

Clearance works were therefore carried out outside the bird nesting season, with replanting and natural regeneration using native species planned for mid-2026.