Debate contribution: Justice: Carbon Footprint
Debate contribution by Mrs Naomi Long on .
- MLA
- Mrs Naomi Long
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 30 September 2024
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Justice: Carbon Footprint
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4563875
Read the official Assembly record
Text
The Department's strategy covers the core Department and its agencies. Central to the delivery of the Department's strategy are the respective strategies of NICTS, the Northern Ireland Prison Service and the PSNI. They have their own goals and targets, and they are reported on separately. The Department's agenda is progressed under three sustainability pillars: economic, social and environmental, each with its own supporting actions. Key to the delivery of the strategy was the establishment of that baseline year as 2021-22, so we can manage our energy consumption and measure it against that particular aspect. We have some key initiatives in progress. The solar farm at Hydebank Wood is now operational and has the capacity to reduce electricity bills by up to £60,000 per year. The Prison Service is also working in collaboration with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, RSPB and Woodland Trust to develop biodiversity action plans for each of our sites, because one thing that we do have is space and land. It is also playing a leading role in sustainability in prisons. An international conference was held in York on 24 and 25 September, to which Prison Service staff made contributions. Finally, we have solar panels installed on several courthouses, including on Laganside. Most importantly, the modernisation of the Royal Courts of Justice project aspires to make the Royal Courts of Justice, a building of the same era as this one, the first fully decarbonised, grade A listed building in Northern Ireland. That includes refurbishment of the old town hall building when it reopens. It will make a significant impact in to the heritage and the environment.
269 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: 0.02 (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).
- 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 | 0.01 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.01 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.01 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.01 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.53 | No |
| Overall judgement | 0.02 | 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 11:11 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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