Debate contribution: Deaths, Still-Births and Baby Loss Bill: Extension of Committee Stage
Debate contribution by Miss Jemma Dolan on .
- MLA
- Miss Jemma Dolan
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 19 May 2025
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Committee Business
- Heading
- Deaths, Still-Births and Baby Loss Bill: Extension of Committee Stage
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4968929
Read the official Assembly record
Text
As the Chair has outlined, this is a compromise date. I do not feel that the proposed extension to the Committee Stage for the Bill is necessary, and my colleague Deirdre Hargey and I outlined that view at the Finance Committee. Repeatedly, in recent months, there has been a strong desire from Members across the Chamber to see the legislation brought forward, as it will see measures introduced during the pandemic in temporary legislation put on a permanent basis. The changes have become the normal registration process and have been viewed as positive by stakeholders, the public and funeral directors. Agreeing to additional Committee time means delaying the implementation of those positive changes, which we do not think is necessary. However, as I said at the Committee, I believe that the extension will pass today. We are putting our view on the record.
143 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).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.65).
- 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 | 0.65 | Yes |
| 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 |
|---|---|
| No identity-related subject | 0.85 |
| Gender, sexuality, abortion and related social issues | 0.15 |
| 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 12:38 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
Disagree with this assessment?
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