Under Pressure: The Working Lives of Northern Ireland's MLAs

1

About you

All responses are confidential. We collect this information to allow for meaningful cross-tabulation (e.g. by party, gender, experience level, or disability), not to identify individuals. With only 90 MLAs, some demographic breakdowns may be too small to publish without risking identification — in those cases, data will be grouped or withheld.

1.1 Name (confidential — will not be published)

1.2 Constituency

1.3 Party

1.4 How long have you served as an MLA?

First term Two terms Three or more terms

1.5 Gender

Male Female Non-binary Prefer not to say Prefer to self-describe

If self-describing, please specify:

1.6 Do you identify as Deaf or disabled, or as having a long-term health condition?

Yes No Prefer not to say

1.7 Do you identify as neurodivergent? (e.g. autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia)

Yes No Prefer not to say

1.8 Do you hold any additional roles? (Tick all that apply)

Committee Chair Committee member Minister Junior Minister Party spokesperson Party leadership role Other

If other, please specify:

2

Working hours & schedule

2.1 In a typical sitting week, how many hours do you work in total? Include Assembly, constituency, party, and evening/weekend commitments.

Under 40 40–50 50–60 60–70 70–80 80+

Or enter your own estimate (hours):

2.2 In a typical non-sitting week, how many hours do you work?

Under 40 40–50 50–60 60–70 70–80 80+

Or enter your own estimate (hours):

2.3 How do you typically split your time? Give a rough percentage for each — doesn't need to total exactly 100%.

Assembly/committee work
Constituency casework
Party duties
Media and communications
Community events and engagements
Admin and correspondence

2.4 How many evenings per week do you typically work?

0 1–2 3–4 5+

2.5 How many weekends per month involve work commitments?

0 1 2 3 All or nearly all

2.6 Do you feel you have enough time to do the job well?

1

2

3

4

5

NeverAlways

3

Casework

3.1 Approximately how many new casework contacts (emails, calls, messages, walk-ins) does your office receive per week?

Under 25 25–50 50–100 100–200 200–500 500–1,000 1,000+

Or enter your own estimate (per week):

3.3 Has your casework volume changed over the past two years?

Increased significantly Increased somewhat Stayed the same Decreased somewhat Decreased significantly N/A — first term

3.4 If your casework has increased, what do you think is driving it?

3.5 Do you feel the Assembly Commission provides adequate support for constituency casework?

1

2

3

4

5

Not at allFully adequate

4

Staffing & resources

4.1 How many staff does your constituency office have (full-time equivalent)?

4.2 Is this sufficient for your current workload?

Far too few Slightly too few About right More than enough

4.3 What additional support would make the biggest difference? (Tick all that apply)

More caseworkers Research support Communications/social media support Better IT or case management systems Mental health or pastoral support for staff Increased office funding Other

If other, please specify:

4.4 Do your staff regularly work beyond their contracted hours to manage demand?

Never Occasionally Frequently Almost always

5

Mental health & wellbeing

These questions are about your personal wellbeing. Your answers will be published only in aggregate and will not be attributable to you.

5.1 How would you rate your overall mental wellbeing in your role as an MLA?

1

2

3

4

5

Very poorVery good

5.2 Has serving as an MLA had a negative impact on your mental health?

Yes, significantly Yes, somewhat No Prefer not to say

5.3 Have you experienced any of the following as a result of the pressures of the role? (Tick all that apply)

Anxiety Burnout or exhaustion Difficulty sleeping Low mood or depression Feeling isolated None of the above Prefer not to say

5.4 Have you sought professional support (e.g. counselling, GP) for work-related stress or mental health concerns since becoming an MLA?

Yes No Prefer not to say

5.5 Are you aware of any wellbeing support services available to MLAs through the Assembly?

Yes, and I've used them Yes, but I haven't used them No, I'm not aware of any

5.6 If you haven't used available support, why not? (Tick all that apply)

Didn't feel I needed it Concern about stigma or confidentiality Didn't think it would be relevant to my situation Didn't have time Other

If other, please specify:

6

Threats, abuse & safety

The Westminster Speaker's Conference (2025) found that 96% of MPs surveyed had experienced abuse, and nearly half of their staff had felt unsafe. We want to understand the picture for MLAs in Northern Ireland.

6.1 Have you experienced any of the following in your role as an MLA? (Tick all that apply)

Verbal abuse in person Online abuse or harassment Threats of physical harm Threats directed at your family Property damage or vandalism Stalking or being followed Physical assault Sectarian abuse or intimidation None of the above

6.2 How frequently do you experience abuse or threatening behaviour?

Daily Weekly Monthly A few times a year Rarely or never

6.3 Has the level of abuse you experience changed over time?

Got significantly worse Got somewhat worse Stayed the same Improved N/A

6.4 Has abuse or threats ever caused you to change how you engage with the public? E.g. stopping open surgeries, limiting social media, avoiding certain events or areas.

6.5 Do you feel adequately supported on security matters by the PSNI and the Assembly?

1

2

3

4

5

Not at allFully supported

6.6 Has abuse or intimidation ever made you consider leaving politics?

Yes No Prefer not to say

7

Impact on family & personal life

7.1 Has your role as an MLA had a negative impact on your family or personal relationships?

Yes, significantly Yes, somewhat No Prefer not to say

7.2 Has your family experienced any direct consequences of your political role? (Tick all that apply)

Abuse or threats directed at family members Significantly reduced family time Financial strain Children affected at school Social isolation or strained friendships None of the above Prefer not to say

7.3 Is there anything you would want the public to understand about the personal cost of the role?

8

The bigger picture

8.1 If you could change one thing about how the role of MLA is structured or supported, what would it be?

8.2 Would you recommend the role of MLA to someone considering entering politics?

Yes, without hesitation Yes, with significant caveats Probably not Definitely not

8.3 Is there anything else you'd like to share about your experience?

9

Consent & data use

Please read and confirm before submitting.

I understand that my name will be held in confidence and that all results will be published in anonymised, aggregate form only. I acknowledge that no response will be attributed to me individually without my explicit consent. I am happy for Adam McBride to process the information I submit for the purposes of this research. I understand that anonymised data may be shared with other media outlets, with attribution to The Brief NI required.