Debate contribution: ‘Individual Wellbeing in Northern Ireland 2023/24’
Debate contribution by Ms Michelle O'Neill on .
- MLA
- Ms Michelle O'Neill
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 18 March 2025
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- ‘Individual Wellbeing in Northern Ireland 2023/24’
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4860583
Read the official Assembly record
Text
We welcomed the publication of the report on 6 March. It provides important data on areas that are key to the well-being of our population, such as loneliness, levels of happiness and anxiety and whether people think that the things that they do are worthwhile. Overall, higher life satisfaction and worthwhile scores indicate an improvement in individual well-being compared with previous figures. Thirty-four per cent of people reported very high levels of life satisfaction. Thirty-seven per cent of people reported very high levels of happiness, and 42% reported very high levels of feeling that the things that they do are worthwhile. Sixty-six per cent of people reported very low or low levels of anxiety. There was a significant decrease in the number of people who reported feeling lonely at least some of the time. Not everyone in our society experiences the same levels of well-being. People who reported their health as very good reported better levels of well-being than those who reported their health as bad or very bad. People with a disability reported lower levels of well-being than those without a disability. People living in the most deprived areas reported the lowest levels of individual well-being compared with those in all other areas. People in employment reported better levels of well-being than those not in employment. Our Programme for Government (PFG) highlights our commitment to working together to improve the well-being of everyone who lives and works here.
239 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).
- 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 | 0.04 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.02 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.01 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.01 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.23 | No |
| 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 |
|---|---|
| Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits | 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 12:10 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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