Fermanagh and Omagh District Council are to write to the Head of the Civil Service seeking clarity around official visits abroad after Minister for Education Paul Givan’s recent trip to Israel.
Cllr Adam Gannon, SDLP described being contacted by, “A significant number of residents regarding the visit of the Minister for Education, Paul Givan to Israel, in what appeared to be an official visit in an official capacity, including the illegally occupied territory in which he used civil service resources and promoted the trip through departmental channels.”
He felt this raised questions around whether Ministers can make official visits to other countries without Executive approval, and should civil servants have been present.
Cllr Gannon added Minister Givan, “Visited a school in the occupied territory, which to my reading, is against UK Foreign Policy. Of course, he took part in this purely as a propaganda visit as a Minister of a state committing genocide who murdered 50,000 children, bombed schools and essentially uses terrorism, not to mention this is basically an apartheid state which keeps people separated, including in education.”
He proposed writing to the Head of the Civil Service seeking clarity on when Ministers can act in an official capacity when abroad.
It was also suggested to the UK Foreign Office, asking for the status of visiting occupied territories in an official Ministerial capacity.
Finally, Cllr Gannon proposed writing to Minister Givan: “Raising our concerns on behalf of residents of this district and the use of departmental resources around this visit, suggesting if he wants to observe best practice, he can just go across the Border where schools rank much higher on education league tables internationally.”
This was seconded by Cllr Ruaídhrí Lyttle Sinn Fein.
However, with dissent obvious, the chairman, Cllr Barry McElduff, called a vote which passed 19 to eight.
