Debate contribution: Miscarriage: Statutory Paid Leave
Debate contribution by Dr Caoimhe Archibald on .
- MLA
- Dr Caoimhe Archibald
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 27 January 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Miscarriage: Statutory Paid Leave
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5345221
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I can confirm that the regulations providing for statutory paid leave in the event of miscarriage have been shared with the Committee for the Economy for scrutiny and will be laid in line with Assembly procedures at the appropriate time. That follows the publication of the official consultation response, which sets out the final policy position, as informed by the broad range of views received. It represents a really important milestone in delivering that much-needed entitlement. It is essential that the regulations remain on schedule to ensure that entitlement to the new right will commence on 6 April 2026, thereby providing employers and employees with clear guidance. That right will be extended equally to women and their partners who experience a miscarriage, thus aligning with existing provisions for parents who suffer the loss of a child or a stillbirth and recognising the profound emotional impact that such losses can have. The overarching objective has been to establish a comprehensive and supportive framework for families as they navigate exceptionally difficult moments in their lives. I encourage the Assembly to support the timely passage of the regulations without delay so that that important commitment to families can be met in full and so that the protections are available from April 2026.
209 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 (0.68).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- Subject area: Gender, sexuality, abortion and related social issues.
- 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 | 0.03 | 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 | 0.68 | 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 |
|---|---|
| Gender, sexuality, abortion and related social issues | 0.81 |
| Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups | 0.18 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.01 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 14:21 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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