Member's statement: Heart Month
Member's statement by Mr Danny Donnelly on .
- MLA
- Mr Danny Donnelly
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 10 February 2025
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- Heart Month
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4790251
Read the official Assembly record
Text
In February, we acknowledge Heart Month, a time to consider the importance of taking care of our heart and to improve our understanding of heart and circulatory conditions. The statistics speak for themselves. Heart disease causes nearly a quarter of deaths in Northern Ireland: around 4,200 deaths every year. Today, around 75,000 people live with coronary heart disease. That will only increase with our ageing and growing population. Heart disease impacts not only on older people. Around 1,100 people under 75 die from heart disease every year. Northern Ireland has led the way in cardiovascular research, most famously through the work of Professor Frank Pantridge and his team at the Royal Victoria Hospital, who invented the world's first mobile defibrillator, fundamentally changing heart care and saving millions of lives around the world. We must support our research sector and universities here in their continuing to pioneer innovative research and organisations such as the British Heart Foundation, which also plays a vital role in developing and funding essential research into heart and circulatory diseases. This year, the theme for our Heart Month from the British Heart Foundation is Go Red. It is running a number of fundraising events and encouraging others to organise similar events. Another ask is that people consider learning CPR, an invaluable and life-saving skill. I have used CPR and have taught it to others in my previous role as a nurse. Last year, my constituency office staff completed CPR training. I encourage businesses to consider that, especially those located in busy town centres. In the UK, eight out of 10 cardiac arrests happen at home, and knowing how to do CPR could save a loved one's life. On a more personal level, people can monitor their heart health through ECG and blood pressure monitors, which can easily be purchased.
As MLAs, we have a responsibility to act to protect our population and reduce the risk of heart disease. Shortly, we will discuss one very important action, the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, but we need further action. I welcome any update from the Minister of Health on his priorities for coronary heart disease in the remaining two years of the mandate.
363 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 (0.70).
- 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 | 0.01 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.01 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.02 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.70 | 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 |
|---|---|
| No identity-related subject | 0.80 |
| Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups | 0.18 |
| Gender, sexuality, abortion and related social issues | 0.01 |
| Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits | 0.01 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:55 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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