Debate contribution: Standing Order 39(2): Suspension
Debate contribution by Mr John O'Dowd on .
- MLA
- Mr John O'Dowd
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 24 February 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Executive Committee Business
- Heading
- Standing Order 39(2): Suspension
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5404634
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I beg to move
Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-Leas-Cheann Comhairle.
I thank you for your help with progressing the Budget Bill. Standing Order 39(2) requires:
"No date may be determined for the Final Stage of a Bill until- (a) the Speaker has considered the Bill in accordance with section 10 of the"
1998 Act
"and signified to the Minister ... in charge of the Bill that in his or her opinion it may properly proceed to its Final Stage".
I request that the Assembly agree to the suspension of Standing Order 39(2) in order to allow the Bill to complete its passage in a shorter time frame and to enable the Bill's Final Stage to occur on Tuesday 10 March 2026. When the Budget Bill completes its passage through the Assembly, there are still further steps to be completed before Royal Assent is secured. There will be an opportunity for the Assembly to discuss in full issues relating to the Budget Bill at its upcoming Final Stage on, if the motion is agreed, Tuesday 10 March 2026.
178 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 | 0.02 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.16 | 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 | 0.50 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.48 |
| Constitutional question, Brexit, the Windsor Framework and sovereignty | 0.02 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 15:03 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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