Debate contribution: Children with Disabilities: Short Breaks
Debate contribution by Mr Mike Nesbitt on .
- MLA
- Mr Mike Nesbitt
- Party at the time
- Ulster Unionist Party
- Date
- 9 December 2024
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Children with Disabilities: Short Breaks
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4698410
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I thank the Member for his question, and, indeed, I applaud his continued interest in and support for the Children's Hospice. As he said, I visited that facility, as well as the Northern Ireland Hospice, a few weeks ago. I was impressed with the facilities. I was impressed with the level of joy at the Children's Hospice in particular. That may seem an odd statement to make when there are children there who are suffering from life-limiting and life-threatening conditions. However, there was pure joy in the air, and I came away with a determination to do what I can in coming years to increase the funding for the hospice. That is before we look at the increase in costs that will develop for hospices, not least with the national living wage and the increases in National Insurance. Also, I was taken by the fact that there is a potential for some form of match funding, should I be able to find funds to increase what the Northern Ireland Executive put into the hospice through the Department of Health. While I can make no absolute promises to the Member, I will say to him that it is very much on my radar, and, if I can, I am determined to do so.
212 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).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.78).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- Subject area: Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits.
- 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 | 0.01 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.01 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.01 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.78 | Yes |
| 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 |
|---|---|
| Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits | 0.95 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.05 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
| Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:41 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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