Second DUP minister holds meeting with loyalist group

The Loyalist Communities Council (LCC) has met Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) Minister for Communities Gordon Lyons.

The Department for Communities confirmed that a gathering took spot "to sermon economical and societal deprivation successful unionist communities".

It comes aft chap DUP curate Paul Givan faced disapproval for gathering the radical past month implicit proposals to physique an Irish connection schoolhouse successful eastbound Belfast.

The LCC includes representatives from paramilitary groups the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and Ulster Defence Association (UDA).

Givan had antecedently defended his meeting, adding that cipher different than him volition dictate which schools should unfastened oregon close.

The Department for Communities said the gathering with Lyons was arranged astatine the petition of the LCC.

On Wednesday, it said Lyons had "highlighted the enactment helium is progressing successful narration to an anti poorness strategy, his committedness to ensuring an capable proviso of bully prime lodging and the value of acquisition and the improvement of skills successful areas of deprivation".

"Minister Lyons emphasised astatine the gathering that authorities and antiauthoritarian processes are the lone mode that we volition win successful shaping Northern Ireland and dealing with the challenges we face.”

The LCC said a delegation met Lyons to inquire him to see conducting a caller "needs investigation connected loyalist and unionist communities that proceed to endure economical deprivation, acquisition disadvantage, and infrastructure neglect".

"This investigation should pass the curate connected wherever scarce resources should beryllium targeted to champion code these problems," a connection added.

The LCC delegation besides urged Lyons to look astatine providing societal lodging successful the Shankill Road, Sandy Row and Suffolk Road areas of Belfast wherever "large sites person been disposable for years but stay unbuilt".