Loyalist Council Meets with Minister on Community Issues

The Loyalist Communities Council (LCC), representing various loyalist paramilitary groups, met with DUP Communities Minister Gordon Lyons to discuss issues of economic deprivation, educational disadvantage, and infrastructure neglect in unionist communities. This meeting follows a previous encounter with Education Minister Paul Givan, which drew criticism for its association with the paramilitary groups. The LCC has requested a 'needs analysis' to better allocate resources to these communities and highlighted the urgent need for social housing in areas such as Shankill and Sandy Row. While the Department for Communities defended the meeting as a means to address social issues, concerns remain about the legitimacy of engaging with groups linked to criminal activity. The scrutiny committee has called for the minutes from these meetings and details about other groups the minister has engaged with, amid reports of coercive control and housing issues in affected areas. Both ministers emphasized that engaging with communities is crucial for addressing their socio-economic challenges.