Minister Muir welcomes the launch of NI Government Mournes Strategic Group
The inaugural meeting of a new strategic group for the Mournes was hailed as a significant milestone by the DAERA Minister Andrew Muir.
Minister Muir welcomed the inaugural meeting of the NI Government Mournes Strategic Group which is chaired by the Minister and brings together key government departments and agencies alongside representatives of the Forever Mournes Partnership to support a sustainable future for the Mournes area.
The Group will provide a strategic forum for collaboration on issues for the benefit of the region.
Speaking after the first meeting, Minister Muir said: “The Mournes are one of Northern Ireland’s most iconic landscapes and an area of immense environmental, cultural and economic importance.
“The establishment of the new group demonstrates my commitment to working collaboratively to safeguard and enhance this special place.
“I am determined the group is action orientated, enabling us to work together on key strategic issues, and provides a mechanism for the Forever Mournes Partnership to elevate issues for resolution.
“The first meeting focused on a number of key areas including the potential for regional asset status, visitor infrastructure and wildfire management with a further meeting to take place later this year.”
A spokesperson for Forever Mournes said: “The first meeting of the Mournes Strategic Group represents an important milestone in the development of a coordinated approach to the long-term management of the Mournes.
“We look forward to ongoing engagement with the Group and supporting collaborative efforts to help safeguard and enhance this special landscape for the benefit of local communities, visitors and future generations.”
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Andrew McMurray welcomes the Mourne Strategic Group following its first meeting on 9th September 2026
Alliance South Down MLA Andrew McMurray said: “The Mournes are facing a whole host of complex environmental and economic issues that affect the area’s resilience.
“It is vitally important that those who pull the strings come together to provide the strategic leadership and coordination that is needed to tackle these issues effectively.
“I am delighted that the Mournes Strategic Group has now started its important work, with its first meeting having taking place on 9 September.
“It was good to mark this milestone with a question to the DAERA Minister during this week’s Question Time.
“The group will have a packed agenda. Issues that need to be addressed include:
• building a more efficient response to landscape fires and stronger accountability for arsonists;
• finding sustainable solutions that balance the many benefits of tourism with the increasingly urgent need to protect fragile upland environments;
• and establishing more effective engagement routes for the wider community in the Mournes to ensure everyone is heard and solutions are balanced.
“This special landscape belongs to us all, and we need to work together to ensure that it can be enjoyed by many generations to come.
“I am aware that Newry, Mourne and Down District Council was unable to attend this initial meeting, which is disappointing. I would hope that, in future, Council will be able to fully engage with the group as a key stakeholder.”
