Member's statement: Coeliac Disease
Member's statement by Mr Peter Martin on .
- MLA
- Mr Peter Martin
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 24 June 2025
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- Coeliac Disease
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5046488
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I rise to highlight an issue that affects thousands of people across Northern Ireland, often silently and invisibly: coeliac disease. For those of you who are not aware, people with coeliac disease are often described as simply "gluten-intolerant", which means that they cannot eat anything containing a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. I recently had the opportunity to meet representatives from Coeliac UK to learn more about that serious autoimmune condition. Coeliac UK conducts outstanding research on the disease and is one of the largest funders of such research in the UK. The disease is far more common than people think. It affects approximately one in 100 people, yet, shockingly, only about 36% of those who have the condition have received a diagnosis. For example, in Northern Ireland alone, it is estimated that over 10,000 people remain undiagnosed. On average, it takes 13 years for someone with coeliac disease to get a proper diagnosis. That means 13 years of unexplained symptoms, misdiagnoses and a compromised quality of life. The consequences of those delays go far beyond general inconvenience. If untreated, the disease can lead to serious long-term health implications, including osteoporosis, infertility and even certain cancers. It also places a substantial and avoidable burden on our health service through repeated consultations, unnecessary tests and misdirected treatments. Coeliac UK's strategy focuses on earlier diagnosis, increased public awareness and improved provision of gluten-free food. Whether it is a matter of training healthcare professionals; ensuring that dietary needs are met in schools; adopting standardised coeliac guidance across the health service; or supporting gluten-free provision in public catering, especially in school lunches, we have the tools and the responsibility to act. In light of that, today I will write to the Health Minister to ask for a meeting with Coeliac UK to discuss the scale of that often undiagnosed disease in Northern Ireland and explore what steps can be taken to raise greater public and clinical awareness of it. The impact of delayed diagnosis is simply too significant to ignore, and we need to ensure that more people receive the support, care and recognition that they urgently need.
356 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 (0.92).
- 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 | 0.02 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.01 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.01 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.01 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.92 | 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 |
|---|---|
| Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits | 0.88 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.12 |
| 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 12:52 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
Disagree with this assessment?
Classifications can be challenged. A person reads every challenge, and any change is recorded publicly above with its reason.