Debate contribution: Paramilitary-style Attacks
Debate contribution by Mrs Naomi Long on .
- MLA
- Mrs Naomi Long
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 3 February 2025
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Paramilitary-style Attacks
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4774201
Read the official Assembly record
Text
Since 2021, the programme has developed and tested a range of interventions involving over 2,500 victims of paramilitary harm who have been directly supported by the programme. That is helping to break the victim-perpetrator cycle for future generations. Key interventions include the Insync project, the first bespoke service designed for victims of paramilitary-style attacks. It was commissioned by EPPOC in 2022 and is delivered by NIACRO. As well as providing support for victims of paramilitary violence, it is actively learning about effective approaches and informing work on tackling violence and paramilitarism more generally. The hospital-based Connect project for youth work places youth workers in three hospital emergency departments. They work as navigators, engaging young people when they first arrive at the hospital and through community-based follow-up. As well as the work to change the language around paramilitary violence, the programme helps to raise awareness of the specific nature of the trauma caused by paramilitaries. That may mean that more service providers are better able to identify those requiring specific help and support.
172 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: 0.04 (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 (0.74).
- No identity-based framing was identified (0.99).
- Subject area: Legacy of the Troubles, victims and paramilitarism.
- 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 | 0.03 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.02 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.02 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.02 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.03 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.74 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.04 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 0.99 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.01 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Legacy of the Troubles, victims and paramilitarism | 0.99 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.01 |
| 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 11:52 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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