Debate contribution: Standing Order 18C
Debate contribution by Miss Órlaithí Flynn on .
- MLA
- Miss Órlaithí Flynn
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 1 July 2025
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Committee Business
- Heading
- Standing Order 18C
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5062005
Read the official Assembly record
Text
Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle.
Like the Chairperson, I, as Deputy Chairperson of the Committee on Procedures, welcome the opportunity to speak in and conclude on the debate on the motion to provide, in Standing Orders, for an annual debate on the Executive's legislative programme. I begin by thanking Cara Hunter, who said a few words in the debate, and giving a special thank you to our Committee Chairperson, Kellie, for all her work on the Committee to date and for opening the debate. There was full support in the Committee for the new Standing Order. I am glad that, this evening, Members seem to be content to pass the motion to introduce the Standing Order. The points that Cara highlighted, on accountability, transparency and openness, are really important. I hope that, through the annual debate on the legislative programme, Cara and other Members will feel that we have those things. I am pleased that Members are content with the Standing Order.
It is important that, as the Chair of the Committee outlined, the Assembly fulfils the requirement of section 15(3) of the Assembly and Executive Reform Act 2016 and implements the recommendation of the previous Committee on Procedures, which was endorsed by the Assembly, by providing for an annual debate on the Executive's legislative programme. The proposed Standing Order makes that provision. It recognises the process that the First Minister and the deputy First Minister have adopted on the Executive's legislative programme in this mandate, and it includes a time frame that should assist the planning and scheduling of Committee and plenary work. I thank Kellie, our Chairperson, and all the members of the Committee who took the time to get involved in the discussions as we compiled the draft Standing Order. A very big thank you to the wonderful Committee staff and all the individuals and teams who gave evidence to the Committee and provided us with advice and guidance on bringing forward the proposal. Again, I am pleased that everyone seems to be happy enough to pass the new Standing Order. I commend it to the Assembly.
352 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).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- Subject area: Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy.
- 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 | 0.25 | No |
| 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 |
|---|---|
| Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy | 0.53 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.46 |
| Constitutional question, Brexit, the Windsor Framework and sovereignty | 0.01 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 13:06 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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