Under-fire DUP Minister for Education meets Irish language group at Stormont

DUP Education Minister Paul Givan has met with an Irish language organisation at Stormont to discuss Irish medium youth services.

The meeting with Fóram na nÓg took place on Monday. Fóram na nÓg is a regional voluntary youth organisation representing the Irish medium youth work sector and represents 36 member groups whose aim is to improve the educational and social experiences of young Irish speakers by delivering innovative and high-quality youth services to Irish medium school communities across the north.

Paul Givan has been under pressure in recent weeks after it emerged that he met with the Loyalist Communities Council last month, which includes members of the UVF and UDA. During the meeting the LCC told the DUP minister that a proposed Irish language school in East Belfast “has no meaningful support from the local unionist and loyalist population and no consultation had taken place with local residents”.

Following that meeting Irish language campaign groups Conradh na Gaeilge hit out at the minister, revealing that he had declined a meeting with them.

Yesterday, following a Freedom of Information request, the SDLP revealed that Minister Givan has declined 205 meetings with groups or organisations since he took up office.

Fóram na nÓg Director Orliath Mhic Leanáinn said the meeting with the Minister for Education was a “critical step in advancing the future of the Irish medium youth work sector”.

“Over the past three years, we have developed an increasingly positive and constructive engagement with the Education Authority which has resulted in significant progress and a considerable increase in resources for our sector,” she said. "We brought some of our young people to the meeting who outlined the transformational and essential role that Irish medium youth services play in their lives. We highlighted the need for a long-term and sustainable funding framework that matches the increasing demand for Irish medium youth services which is in line with the burgeoning growth of Irish medium education across the north.

"We stressed the need to retain and mainstream the current regional funding opportunities being provided to us by the Education Authority which are making such a difference in the lives of young Irish speakers who were previously denied informal youth socialisation opportunities in their language of choice.

“As the fastest growing youth sector in the north, we also underscored the urgent need for flexible and creative funding arrangements at a local level which allows our fledging youth clubs, all of whom are based in substandard accommodation, to build capacity and reach their potential as Irish medium youth clubs.”