Debate contribution: Budget 2024-25
Debate contribution by Ms Liz Kimmins on .
- MLA
- Ms Liz Kimmins
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 28 May 2024
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Executive Committee Business
- Heading
- Budget 2024-25
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4492216
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I will not. As I said, I am conscious that, by this time tomorrow, we are likely to have a new Health Minister. I am at a loss as to what that incoming Minister intends to do. As I said, we are still without a plan. We have heard about all the things that the Minister cannot do, but, sadly, information on what will be done has been lacking. We need to give people strong leadership and hope, especially in relation to health. Those who are still on picket lines and waiting lists need to see leadership that not only takes on the huge challenges that our health service faces but gives them hope that we will fight for further funding to fix our health service. I have heard voices across the Chamber continually reverting to the need for the Executive to allocate more money to the Health Department, but I have not heard what their alternative is. From which Department will they take the money? The outgoing Health Minister indicated that he needs at least £800 million out of just over £900 million in order to stand still. That is almost 90% of the funding that is available. How do we square that circle? I commend my colleague the Finance Minister for her work in delivering this difficult Budget in the most challenging of circumstances. I encourage the incoming Health Minister to continue to work with all Executive colleagues to support the Finance Minister to secure additional funding to enable us to deliver high-quality public services for the people we represent. In my role as Chairperson, I give a commitment to continue to work with the Minister and support him in his endeavours to tackle the huge crisis that faces our health service.
294 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: 0.03 (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).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.84).
- 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 | 0.02 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.01 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.02 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.84 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.03 | 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 | 1.00 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
| Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy | 0.00 |
| Sport (including the GAA), the arts and cultural bodies | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 10:31 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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