Debate contribution: Holding Ministers to Account
Debate contribution by Mr Pat Sheehan on .
- MLA
- Mr Pat Sheehan
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 10 November 2025
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Opposition Business
- Heading
- Holding Ministers to Account
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5225122
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I heard Michelle make the same point about the First Minister and deputy First Minister bringing forward proposals for reform. It is like the academics who come to Committee and use broad brushstrokes, saying, "We cannot get this, that or the other". One party is to blame. We do not have tax-varying powers here because the DUP is opposed to it. We do not have proper female representation in this place because other parties do not follow Sinn Féin's example. Instead of blaming everybody, let us put the blame where it lies. If there is no agreement between the First Minister and deputy First Minister on reform, it will not be the First Minister's fault.
115 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: 0.34 (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 (0.88).
- Subject area: Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups.
- The overall probability was low and the text did not adopt any identity-based framing.
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 | 0.24 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.06 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.02 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.13 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.11 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.18 | No |
| Overall judgement | 0.34 | Between thresholds |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 0.88 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.01 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.01 |
| Adopts it | 0.10 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups | 0.48 |
| Gender, sexuality, abortion and related social issues | 0.26 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.12 |
| Sectarianism, hate crime and community relations | 0.10 |
| Constitutional question, Brexit, the Windsor Framework and sovereignty | 0.02 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 13:43 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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