Irish school plan causing 'volatility', says loyalist leader

David Campbell of the Loyalist Communities Council made the comments in the meeting with the Education Minister

A plan for an Irish-medium school in east Belfast was "causing polarity and volatility in the community," according to a loyalist leader.

The chair of the Loyalist Communities Council (LCC) David Campbell made the comments during a meeting with the Education Minister Paul Givan.

The Department of Education (DE) has released a note of the meeting, which took place on Tuesday 24 September.

Also present representing the LCC were loyalists Jackie McDonald, Robert Williamson and Bobby Rodgers.

According to the DE note, the meeting with the LCC was "to discuss educational underachievement in loyalist communities".

Paul Givan's response is not recorded in the note

However, the note also records that: "David Campbell reported the lack of support for an Irish medium school in east Belfast which is causing polarity and volatility in the community."

Paul Givan's response is not recorded in the note, whose text was approved by the minister two days after the meeting on 26 September.

The loyalist leaders met with the minister and some DE officials, including Paul Givan's Special Advisor (SpAd).

Naíscoil na Seolta first opened as a pre-school in 2021, and, as Scoil na Seolta, is now planning to admit its first Primary One pupils.

The integrated Irish-medium school was established by the well-known Irish language activist Linda Ervine and will be the first school of its kind in east Belfast.

According to the school's board, it has had expressions of interest from over 100 families to send their children to the school

The school's board are hoping that its long-term future will be on the site of Van Morrison's former school Orangefield High.

However, it has initially identified a proposed temporary site on Montgomery Road in the Castlereagh area.

In June, Belfast City Council's planning committee voted by a majority of 11 councillors to five to allow the school to use the Montgomery Road site, which is currently vacant, for three years.

The school has received money from the Shared Island Fund to rent the land in east Belfast and pay for a mobile classroom.

'Incompatible'

Scoil na Seolta also plans to develop a soft play area and some parking at the temporary site.

According to the school's board, it has had expressions of interest from over 100 families to send their children to the school.

Nine letters of support were received by Belfast City Council in support of the school's temporary site, and two objections.

The objections said that use of the school of the land on Montgomery Road was "incompatible" and would lead to "loss of employment land."

But council officials said that "given the size of the site, the proposal will not adversely affect the city’s overall capacity to meet future demand for employment land."

After the meeting with Mr Givan in September, the LCC released a statement in which it said that it "advised the Minister that the proposal to build an Irish language school in the mainly unionist area of east Belfast should be stopped" and that it had "no meaningful support from the local unionist and loyalist population."

According to the DE note "educational underachievement in north and west Belfast," absenteeism in schools and "the Labour Party election manifesto commitment to provide a mental health worker for every school" were also discussed by the LCC and the minister.