A Stormont scrutiny committee is to write to the Education Minister seeking clarification over why he met with representatives of loyalism who demanded an end to plans for an Irish language school in east Belfast.
Paul Givan met with members of the Loyalist Communities Council (LCC) on Tuesday to discuss what the Department of Education said was “a range of issues relating to education underachievement in loyalist areas and share information on the Department’s RAISE programme and other relevant initiatives”.
But in a statement, the LCC — which represents the views of the UDA, UVF and Red Hand Commando paramilitary groups — said it had also raised concerns about the proposed Irish school in east Belfast, and urged the DUP Minister to halt the development.
Belfast City Council gave planning permission for the proposed temporary nursery and primary school and soft play area in June.
Representatives from the LCC, led by chair David Campbell, said they had told the DUP minister that any proposed school “has no meaningful support from the local unionist and loyalist population and no consultation had taken place with local residents”.
David Campbell from the Loyalist Communities Council met with Education Minister Paul Givan
The Education Committee will now await a response from Mr Givan over what talks took place with members of the LCC after a heated discussion during Wednesday’s committee meeting.
DUP member David Brooks told the committee he “would not be apologising personally or on behalf of his party for engaging with the LCC when we are expected to sit in chambers with people who are from a republican background and have a history of violence”.
“What I am getting quite sick of in terms of political discourse is this circus arriving every time there is engagement with LCC,” he said.
“The LCC as I understand it is a body about moving loyalist paramilitaries away from paramilitary activity. But irrespective of that I sit on this committee and I sit across the way from Pat Sheehan and his history and everything that goes with that.
“I sit in a chamber across the way from Gerry Kelly, a man who has written a book about his history and what he has been responsible for. Yet when there were flag protests, political unionism was accused of not engaging with loyalist working class communities and hammered for that.
“When we look at history, people talk about the Hume/Adams talks and the virtues in that and how it brought Sinn Fein in from the cold. I don’t necessarily share those views, but it seems a particular attitude is taken whenever political unionism engages with representatives of loyalism. It’s double standards. In the community I represent, people are sick of that. There are times when it is appropriate that we talk to the LCC. We don’t always agree, but it is right that we engage with them.”
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Sinn Fein MLAs Mr Sheehan and Mr Kelly are former IRA prisoners, and the former was not in attendance at yesterday’s meeting.
Sinn Fein member Cathy Mason, though, said it was “completely outrageous that a group representative of loyalist gangs are attempting to influence decisions about our children’s futures and their right to be educated through whatever language they choose”.
Also seeking clarification over what was discussed at the meeting, SDLP member Cara Hunter said she wanted to see an end to the “politicisation of the Irish language”.
“This is something the Department needs to uphold,” she added.
“We’ve seen the movement from Linda Irvine. The language belongs to everybody.”
Temporary plans were passed by Belfast City Council for an Irish Language school in east Belfast in June
The DUP’s Mr Brooks responded saying “there are some other parties who have had a very large role in politicising the Irish language”.
Alliance member Michelle Guy MLA said it was only right that the Education Committee seek clarification from the Minister over the meeting.
“I was disturbed to see it,” she added. “Particularly in the context of work which was outlined to this committee last week on the linkage between paramilitary groups and their influence on communities and child exploitation.”
She said it was “not credible” for the Minister to be standing against the paramilitary exploitation of children then meeting with LCC who “are not legitimate stakeholders in discussions we have around the education of our children”.
UUP member Robbie Butler also called for the Minister to clarify the content of the meeting.
“If the Minister asked them when they will be leaving the stage, then that is legitimate,” he said.
The Department of Education was contacted on Wednesday seeking further clarification of the content of the meeting.