Debate contribution: Mobile Phone Coverage: West Belfast
Debate contribution by Mrs Deborah Erskine on .
- MLA
- Mrs Deborah Erskine
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 20 May 2025
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Adjournment
- Heading
- Mobile Phone Coverage: West Belfast
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4964607
Read the official Assembly record
Text
Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. I am from Fermanagh and South Tyrone, and we all know that west is best. As someone from the west speaking about mobile phone infrastructure, I sympathise wholeheartedly with people who cannot access good mobile phone coverage. I would love to have 4G in my area, never mind 5G, and to see improvements made to masts and infrastructure. Such improvements are needed not just in West Belfast but throughout Northern Ireland. I have spoken on the issue in the Chamber before, and I have concerns. It is ironic that this Adjournment debate was secured by Sinn Féin, which has Ministers holding the Economy and Infrastructure portfolios. Planning permission is one of the stumbling blocks to infrastructure improvements. It is important that we understand and progress the ideals of the barrier busing task force (BBTF). I have heard that investors are turning away from Northern Ireland because getting planning permission takes much longer here than it does in other parts of the United Kingdom. It is therefore important that we make progress on some of the issues. The attacks on masts and infrastructure that have occurred in West Belfast have been mentioned and are part and parcel of the debate. Four 5G masts were damaged over a 48-hour period in the area in July 2024. It is important that we show leadership. My ask of the Infrastructure and Economy Ministers is to come up with a community awareness campaign on 5G and improving mobile phone infrastructure. It is critical for technology development. Our health service, among many other services, is going to be using 5G. The technology that we are going to use in order to build better roads infrastructure will use 5G as we look to the future. A community awareness campaign would be important in order to demonstrate what mast improvements will mean for communities. I hope that the debate is not just smoke and mirrors. We know full well that infrastructure in West Belfast is being improved and is going to be further improved. I hope that, through community engagement and awareness, we can focus on the progression made by the barrier busting task force, push forward with the mobile action plan for Northern Ireland (MAP NI) and show leadership in order to stop attacks on masts, not just in West Belfast but across Northern Ireland.
394 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: 0.11 (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 (0.88).
- No identity-based framing was identified (0.79).
- 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 | 0.06 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.04 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.02 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.09 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.11 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.88 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.11 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 0.79 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.01 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.13 |
| Adopts it | 0.07 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-related subject | 0.56 |
| Sectarianism, hate crime and community relations | 0.24 |
| Another identity-related subject | 0.11 |
| Legacy of the Troubles, victims and paramilitarism | 0.05 |
| Constitutional question, Brexit, the Windsor Framework and sovereignty | 0.02 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 12:33 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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