Education Minister Paul Givan criticised for meeting with loyalist group

Stormont’s Education Minister Paul Givan has faced criticism for meeting with a group which represents loyalist paramilitaries.

A statement from the Loyalist Communities Council (LCC) said that it had advised Mr Givan that a proposal to build an Irish language school in east Belfast should be stopped.

Belfast City Council gave planning permission for the proposed temporary nursery, primary school and soft play area in June.

The LCC, chaired by David Campbell, is an umbrella group which represents the Ulster Volunteer Force, Ulster Defence Association and Red Hand Commando.

A spokesperson for the Department of Education said the meeting had been arranged at the LCC’s request and had discussed educational underachievement in loyalist areas.

A spokesperson for the Department of Education said: “Paul Givan, Education Minister, met with the LCC to discuss a range of issues relating to education underachievement in loyalist areas and undertook to share information on DE’s (Department of Education) RAISE programme and other relevant initiatives.

“The meeting was arranged at the request of the LCC.”

The school's acting chair is Rev Andrew Irvine, a Methodist Minister in East Belfast Mission.

He told UTV that it is clear to them that there is demand for an Irish Language school in the area, as over 100 parents have already registered their interest and 600 people are learning Irish through the Turas group.

Rev Irvine also said that building new premises for this school will not impact any other schools, as it is funded through a Shared Ireland Fund, not by the Department for Education.

Alliance Party education spokesperson Nick Mathison said: “The LCC is an umbrella organisation for active paramilitary groups and organisations such as this should have absolutely no place when it comes to decision-making over the education of our children.

“Questions must be asked about the minister’s judgement in this case.

“He should be seeking to remove all paramilitary influence over our children and young people, rather than giving their views a platform.”

David Graham, a former DUP Special Advisor in Education said that "the basis for the meeting is more than legitimate", given the well documented educational under-achievement of PUL boys, and that "the genesis of the LCC was well intentioned".

He added that the so-called "siege mentality" of some members of the loyalist community means that some may have belief that "I'd rather be in the street without my shirt than see someone else beside me clothed."

"It has to be a case of what are we trying to do for our community, rather than, 'well if we can't get something, let's just ensure that someone else doesn't'," he said.

Former Ulster Unionist leader Doug Beattie posted on X, formerly Twitter, that he did not believe the stance taken by the LCC “represents the majority view of the loyalist community”.

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