Debate contribution: Age Discrimination (Goods, Facilities and Services) Bill: Second Stage
Debate contribution by Ms Claire Sugden on .
- MLA
- Ms Claire Sugden
- Party at the time
- Independent
- Date
- 20 October 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Private Members' Business
- Heading
- Age Discrimination (Goods, Facilities and Services) Bill: Second Stage
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5798753
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I thank the Member for giving way. I discussed the protections for 16- and 17-year-olds earlier. The provision departs from what exists in GB and even in the Republic of Ireland, where age protections begin from 18 years. I did not come up with it: when the proposals were developed by the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister under Martin McGuinness and Peter Robinson, that was the proposal that was originally agreed. To some extent, therefore, there has been thinking on it. The age of 16 or 17 suggests a transitional period in someone's life, insofar as that is when children and young people may start further or higher education. Their rights in relation to their healthcare also change then. I respect the fact that we need to give the issue further consideration. I suppose that, in some respects, I am saying, "I am inventing nothing new here", and, in another breath, I am saying, "Let's take the opportunity to introduce the protection at 16 and 17". It is a proportionate change in that there is a justification for it given other legal frameworks around those ages, but we need to have that conversation, in the same way as we need to have the conversation about what Ms Ní Chuilín said around whether the provision should be extended to all ages. I fully expect that conversation to happen in Committee.
233 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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