Sinn Féin to support motion against DUP minister

Sinn Féin will support a motion of no confidence against Stormont’s Education Minister Paul Givan following his recent visit to Israel.

Givan was among a group of unionist politicians who went on a six-day tour of Israel.

The minister described the trip as a “fact-finding mission”.

Gerry Carroll, from People Before Profit (PBP), said he has submitted a no confidence motion.

But the motion would have no power to remove a Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) minister from office without the support of the DUP leader, who opposes the move.

On Saturday, Gavin Robinson said Givan was “going nowhere”.

Last week Givan confirmed his tour had been facilitated by the Israeli embassy.

During the trip, he visited a Holocaust memorial and met victims of Hamas.

The education minister was criticised for asking his departmental officials to publicise his visit to a school in Jerusalem.

On Saturday, PBP staged a protest against the minister outside Belfast City Hall.

It is estimated that between 200 and 300 people attended the Givan Must Go rally.

“I think it’s important to give people in Belfast and beyond a chance to express their outrage at the Education Minister’s decision to go to Israel,” Carroll said.

PBP said the Stormont Business Office is considering the no confidence motion but it will also need the signatures of at least 30 assembly members to force a debate.

Sinn Féin has 27 elected representatives in Stormont and on Saturday its assembly member Deirdre Hargey confirmed the party will support the PBP motion.

She said Givan’s actions had undermined public confidence in his ability to serve in office.

“The education minister’s decision to travel to Israel and use departmental resources to promote that trip is both inappropriate and unacceptable,” she said.

Hargey also attended Saturday’s rally and told the crowd Givan’s visit to Israel was was grotesque.

She said Sinn Féin “will look at all options to hold the education minister to account”, including supporting the no confidence motion.

However, Carroll’s no confidence motion would be non-binding – a type of debate that allows members to express their opinions on a topic but does not force action.

DUP leader Robinson said on Saturday: “Paul Givan is going nowhere. Unionists will not be bullied by the whims of the pan-republican front.

“I choose who serves as a DUP minister and whatever about the faux outrage and petty politicking, Paul has my full support.”

He later issued a statement saying that Sinn Féin and PBP are showing their “long-standing hostility towards the Jewish state”.

“The pan-republican front’s futile attempt to bully and intimidate will always fail,” he added.

“We will never bow to such demands which show the depth of hatred for Israel and its people. We will call out such antisemitic sentiment which should have no place in public life.”

Robinson said they “can huff and buff all they like” but “they will not be dictating to me about who I appoint to serve as a minster from the Democratic Unionist Party”.

Protesters at Saturday’s rally included Palestine solidarity activists, education workers, community groups and political representatives.

Addresing the rally, teacher Brendan Morgan said: “I feel that many people in the teaching profession don’t have confidence in the education minister.

“It’s not representing all teachers. It’s a very, very political thing.”

Also at the rally, Margaret Deevy, from Mothers Against Genocide, said: “We look to our education minister for leadership, for guidance – he has absolutely fallen short here.”

On Tuesday, the body which represents Northern Ireland’s main teaching unions criticised Givan’s trip amid international condemnation of Israel’s actions in Gaza.

Responding to the complaints, the Department of Education said Givan was “invited by the government of Israel to participate in an official visit as part of a delegation of representatives from Northern Ireland”.

In a statement, the department also confirmed Givan had “requested” that his visit to a Jerusalem school “was highlighted on the department’s social media channels”.

The current military campaign in Gaza began following a Hamas-led attack on Israel 7 October 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were abducted.

Israel responded by launching ground and air strikes which have led to 68,500 deaths so far, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.