Absence rates spike at schools closest to Ballymena disorder
Absence rates at schools closest to the epicentre of the disorder in Ballymena have spiked amid the violence, the Stormont Education Minister has said.
Paul Givan said 84 newcomer children at Harryville Primary School have not been attending, while attendance is at around 65% at St Patrick's College.
The Assembly also heard on Monday that the Housing Executive provided emergency temporary accommodation for 16 households in Mid and East Antrim, as well as advice for 50 households as a result of the unrest.
Violent scenes broke out in Ballymena last Monday after an alleged sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl at the weekend.
Following a peaceful protest, there were attacks on the homes of some residents – as well as rioting.
Mr Givan was speaking during questions for his department in the Assembly on Monday, in response to being asked by Opposition leader Matthew O'Toole what is being done for children caught up in the disorder.
Stormont Opposition leader Matthew O'Toole (Liam McBurney/PA)
Mr Givan said is it 'outrageous' that over the last week children have been coming into school traumatised as a result of what has been happening.
'Alarmingly, we're also dealing with some children who engaged in the rioting and attacked some of the houses of the very children in their class,' he said.
'So this is an appalling situation, one which is complicated and requires intervention.
'My team have been engaged with a number of schools as a result of the picture that we have had to deal with. We have engaged the emotional wellbeing unit within the Education Authority, the intercultural services and try and provide support for these schools.'
Whenever you are a child in Northern Ireland from whatever background, you have to be treated with respect, you have to be supported, and you need to be protected
He said Harryville Primary School and St Patrick's Primary School in Ballymena had seen absence at half of the school.
'That is a clear problem, but it's also complicated by the fact that we are dealing with children in both schools that were engaged in this trouble and children in both schools that were the victims of that trouble, and it's one that does require concerted effort, and to assure the member I and my team are very much engaged in trying to provide that support,' he said.
He added: 'I've been hugely impressed as I go around schools where I see the many different newcomers within controlled schools, Catholic maintained schools, integrated schools, and the work that goes on by the school leaders and the teachers to ensure that there is an inclusive environment where diversity is respected and indeed celebrated.
'Our schools have often been the safe haven within their communities where outside of the school walls, there have been challenges.
'What has happened in a number of these schools I find particularly alarming, and that is why there needs to be support and my team at senior levels have been engaging in respect all of this.
Education Minister Paul Givan (Liam McBurney/PA)
'I take a very simple view – there is a time and a place to debate immigration policy, but whenever you are in Northern Ireland, and particularly whenever you are a child in Northern Ireland from whatever background, you have to be treated with respect, you have to be supported, and you need to be protected, and that has not been the case over the past week, and that is wrong, and I absolutely condemn what has happened in respect of these particular issues.
'I will do all that I can to support those within our school environments that need that support.'
Mr Givan went on to say that his own family supported a family from Ukraine, with three children staying with his parents in Co Armagh.
'They went to schools that went out of their way to make them feel welcome, and they regard Northern Ireland as their home and they will be here for many years to come, and they should be welcome here in Northern Ireland,' he added.
Read More
Further five arrests made by police investigating Northern Ireland disorder
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Irish Examiner
Thousands take part in Cork's Eucharistic Procession amid 'a very uncertain world'
Thousands of people took part in the annual Eucharistic Procession in Cork City on Sunday, with many saying that the world has become such a dangerous place, more people will turn to God in the uncertain days ahead. This was echoed by the Bishop of Cork and Ross Fintan Gavin before he led the ceremony which got underway at Cathedral of Saint Mary and Saint Anne, also known as the North Cathedral. Bishop Gavin said he'd noticed an increase in those attending the event in recent years. A sea of faithful wound their way through the streets of Cork as the 2025 Eucharistic Procession unfolded, continuing a tradition that has united generations of worshippers. Picture: Chani Anderson He told the Irish Examiner that waking up on Sunday morning to news that US president Trump had ordered the US Air Force to bomb nuclear sites in Iran had no doubt made a lot of people feel uneasy. People from parishes across the city and county took part in the 2025 Cork Eucharistic Procession, which made its way from the North Cathedral through the historic streets of Cork to the Grand Parade, where Mass was celebrated in the open air. Picture: Chani Anderson The bishop said ordinary people are seeking out the higher power of God as they are looking for 'security, purpose, and meaning in a very uncertain world". A large proportion of those who took part in the procession were Catholic immigrants to the country. There was also a notable presence of younger Irish-born people. Faithful Catholics gathered in great numbers along the Grand Parade for the concluding Mass of the Cork Eucharistic Procession 2025. Picture: Chani Anderson For Indian-born Sabidha Matha, her husband, Joseph, and their two children, Anlive and Asmin, it was their first time at the procession. Sabidha, a nurse at CUH, said the family moved to Ireland two years ago. She said: More people are looking to God as the world is such an unsafe place now. The Russian invasion of Ukraine, Israel's brutal suppression of Palestinians in Gaza, and now its attacks on Iran being joined by the US are making people pray harder for global peace, people said. 'Everything is so confusing, everything is going wrong with the world with these wars,' said Patricia Campbell from Carrigaline who was attending the event for the third time. Altar servers and clergy from the Cathedral of St Mary and St Anne — 'the North Cathedral' — led the way as Bishop Fintan Gavin carried the Eucharist through Cork City towards the altar set up on the Grand Parade. Picture: Chani Anderson George Feeney, 19, from Kinsale was leading the 25-strong 1st Cork Scout Troop in the procession. It was also his third time at the religious ceremony. 'I think there is a resurgence in trust of the church amongst younger people,' he said. Dia Enodio, who is originally from the Philippines, came along with her two children Adiel, eight, and Biel, six. People from parishes across city and county took part in the 2025 Cork Eucharistic Procession. Picture: Chani Anderson Her family came to Ireland two years ago and they live in Tower, near Blarney. She pointed out that the Philippines is one of the world's most Catholic countries and so the transition to Ireland is great for her 'because we have so many churches we can go to here". People from all over Cork city and county wending their way through the streets of Cork for the 2025 Eucharistic Procession. Picture: Chani Anderson Terry McCarthy came down from Farranree to attend the parade. He said he'd been for the past two years after a gap of about 10 years. Prior to that he was a regular at it. He said: The world is now a very frightening place and anything could happen. I imagine a lot of people are turning to God because of this. The procession, led by the Butter Exchange Band, left the cathedral at 3pm making its way down Cathedral Street, Roman Street, through Mulgrave Road, onto Pope's Quay and over the Christy Ring Bridge. The faithful gathered along the Grand Parade in Cork City for the concluding Mass of the Cork Eucharistic Procession 2025, marking one of the city's oldest annual religious events. Picture: Chani Anderson From there it progressed along Academy Street, into Patrick Street and onto Grand Parade, where for the first time in its 99-year history it stopped at a specially constructed altar in front of the National Monument. Many more were waiting there and the participants prayed, listened to the liturgy and benediction, which was celebrated by Bishop Gavin. The annual Eucharistic Procession passing through St Patrick's Street, Cork in 1928. Picture: Irish Examiner Archive Crowd estimates varied from 3,500 to around 4,000. Next year crowds are expected to be even bigger as it will mark the 100th anniversary of the first procession. That took place in 1926 and was designed in the main part to heal divisions brought about by the Civil War. That parade was attended by tens of thousands of people.
Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- Irish Examiner
Irish Examiner view: You are as old you are portrayed
One of our contributors from Co Dublin, commenting on the work of a columnist, has observed that ageism is the last remaining prejudice in Ireland, and the most stubborn. It should, she argues, be designated a hate crime. Her comments conclude a week in which the subject of old age has been high on the public agenda, and which was marked by a landmark vote in the parliament of our next-door neighbours to establish a legal right to assisted dying in England and Wales, an option which is predominantly, although not exclusively, exercised by more senior people. Much of the criticism of the negative portrayal of older people has been laid at the door of the advertising industry, which is accused of simultaneously using unflattering stereotypes and over-promoting services such as death insurance, care homes, funeral parlours, and mobility aids. One company, a manufacturer of ready meals, was criticised for its 'offensive' presentation of older people — depicting them as grumpy and intolerant, and implying many are lonely and isolated. A survey of 4,000 adults of all ages found that more than a third thought people over the age of 55 were negatively projected in ads. Almost half said ads that showed older people as unable to understand or use technology were potentially offensive. More than a fifth of those surveyed believed that depicting ageing as something to be 'fought', especially in beauty advertising, had the potential to cause harm by influencing how an older person saw themselves, or how society might view and treat them. One industry which won't have to worry about its advertising position — because it won't be permitted to actively promote itself — will be the assisted-dying service, whose introduction has taken a step forward after a free third vote in Britain's House of Commons delivered a majority of 23, down from 55 last November. Although it faces further opposition in Britain's House of Lords, the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill opens the way for such services to be introduced before the end of this decade. It will allow terminally-ill adults in England and Wales, with fewer than six months to live, to apply for an assisted death, subject to approval by two doctors and a panel featuring a social worker, senior legal figure, and psychiatrist. Northern Ireland may have its own opportunity to consider such legislation. This is a profound and controversial legal change, with strong, emotional, and sometimes fanciful arguments being put on all sides. Evangelists are pitched against humanists. Lawyers and doctors are divided. But what is clear is that it is as radical as the reforming legislation on capital punishment, abortion, and homosexuality introduced by the 1960s Labour government. Catholic bishops in Britain this week were warning of the impact on the role of care homes and hospices. Scotland, Jersey, the Isle of Man, and France have already recognised the right to die. England and Wales will most likely be next. We may find, however, that it won't be long before that debate gathers any pace in Ireland. Unsettling news raises temperature That old quip about summer consisting of three sunny days followed by a thunderstorm may have a certain contemporary resonance, but it is clear that we must become much more familiar with the sight of the mercury rising, or whatever has replaced mercury in the health-and-safety-conscious thermometers of 2025. Although we have all been enjoying the seasonal sunny weather, Met Éireann has warned that an 'unsettled' period is on the way. While that might mark a setback for the picnic and barbecue plans, there is rather more unsettling information for us to consider. It's not so much that climate change is going to change the flavour of gin and tonic by altering the composition of juniper berries, its key botanical, although that will certainly be an attention- grabber for some. But what should concern us all is that the planet's carbon budget to meet the internationally-agreed rate of 1.5C has just two years left at the current rate of emissions. The carbon budget measures how much carbon dioxide can still be emitted by humanity while offering a fighting chance of meeting temperature targets. Currently, the world is on track for a catastrophic temperature rise of 2.7C. The latest prediction comes less than a fortnight after the Environmental Protection Agency identified more than 100 key risks to Ireland, with extreme wind, coastal erosion, and flooding among the biggest threats. Rock star David Bowie was not a particularly cheerful soothsayer (depending on which of his multiple personalities was addressing you), but even his apocalyptic 1971 classic gave us Five Years notice of impending disaster. Whatever metric is used, the latest news provides more evidence that time has nearly run out. Ireland may be judged by the friends we keep Spain is one of Ireland's closest allies in Europe. We are in lock step with it over the future of Palestine and opposition to trading with the occupied territories. We are collaborators in the International Court of Justice genocide case against Israel. Where we part company is on matters relating to Nato, the mutual defence organisation comprising 32 countries. Spain has been a member since 1982, following two unsuccessful coups within a country emerging from the bleak three-decade dictatorship of Francisco Franco. We, like Austria and Switzerland, have a constitutional commitment to neutrality. For that reason, we will be highly interested bystanders when Nato meets on Tuesday for a summit at the Hague, which has every appearance of being highly problematical —not least because the US has run out of patience with European countries taking what it regards, with some justification, as a free ride in matters of their own defence. Washington and the Pentagon are principally concerned right now with what is happening between Iran and Israel, and attempting to discern China's plans for the future. Increasingly, the White House perceives Ukraine as a European problem which must be resolved within Europe. Part of the solution, Donald Trump believes, is a meaningful increase in military expenditure. There are good arguments for challenging this. One of them is that the US is simultaneously saddling Europe with tariffs. Another is that the US military-industrial complex expects to be significant beneficiaries of any additional spending. Just how helpful it is for Spain's prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, to release his views on the eve of a difficult conference, we will be able to judge next week. He has made a pre-emptive strike by declaring that any increase to 5% of GDP would be incompatible with Spain's welfare state and its vision of the world. Sánchez, who is struggling with political divisions in Madrid and a raucous argument over corruption in the awarding of government contracts, says he wants a 'more flexible formula' that would either make the target optional or allow Spain to opt out. 'It is the legitimate right of every government to decide whether or not they are willing to make those sacrifices. As a sovereign ally, we choose not to,' he wrote in a letter to Nato secretary general, the Dutchman Mark Rutte. Spain is a back marker among western nations allocating only about 1.3% of its GDP to defence spending. Next week's meeting has been choreographed to persuade Trump to continue to support Europe's defence. It has been cut back to a single working session and its shortening should prevent Trump from leaving early, as he did from this week's G7 meeting in Canada. For Ireland, what happens here is of significance even though we are not in Nato. We have our own unresolved issues with Trump and a recent report from the International Institute for Strategic Studies placed us at the bottom of the European table of 38 countries for defence spend. In this dangerous world, that is not a tenable position. In this case, it is worth creating some perceptual distance between Dublin and the Palace of Moncloa. Read More Irish Examiner view: Sobering truths about miscarriages
Irish Independent
4 days ago
- Irish Independent
Letters: Some of the most profound aspects of Irishness are found far away from home
I've lived and worked in many places, and nowhere has that belief been more strongly confirmed than among the diaspora. In California, I met Irish-Americans with a better command of the Irish language than I ever had, who could dance reels and jigs as if born to it and were much better at Gaelic football than me. In Hawaii it was the same – people fiercely proud of their roots, even if their connection was two or three generations removed. While teaching in a Catholic school in London, I was struck by how much more connected to this heritage my pupils were than I felt myself. They knew their family townlands, said grace instinctively and sang rebel songs their parents had passed down. My London-Irish wife, whom I met in San Francisco, once shocked me by berating a woman on the Tube who had muttered something about 'drunken Irish on the train'. She showed more courage in that moment than I had ever displayed. And I'll never forget sitting on a boulevard in Buenos Aires wearing an Irish jersey, waiting for my wife to return from a salsa class. A woman walked past, saw the shirt, smiled and blew me a kiss. Mary Kenny is right: Irishness isn't a passport stamp. It's a cultural imprint, sometimes stronger abroad than at home. We may be a small nation, but wherever we go, we leave a presence – proud, persistent and unmistakably our own. Enda Cullen, Tullysaran Road, Armagh Explain all the arrests if Trump, Vance and Rubio are free-speech absolutists Ian O'Doherty ('Mam and Dad are arguing again, and we are the fearful child torn between the two', June 18) explores the different interpretations of 'free speech' in the EU and US and the possible economic implications for Ireland. He portrays Ireland and the EU as stuffy nanny states, duty-bound and hell-bent on protecting citizens from harmful or hateful speech. ADVERTISEMENT Meanwhile, the US is depicted as some divine, freedom-loving cowboy who doesn't mince his words and loves to shoot from the hip. Indeed, O'Doherty brands Trump loyalists Marco Rubio and JD Vance as 'free-speech absolutists'. Lest we forget, Rubio once dubbed Trump a 'con-artist' while Vance compared Trump with Hitler. Both men recently supported the arrest and detention of Columbia University students protesting against the indiscriminate Israeli campaign carried out across Gaza in response to the horrific Hamas attack of October 7. These guys are free-speech absolutists all right – especially when they are talking out of both sides of their mouths. Paddy Sharkey, Hollywood, Co Wicklow Israel-US food aid centres are death traps for the civilians of Palestine The Israel-US Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) was first registered last February, and its few food aid centres set up on May 26 in Gaza are described as death traps overseen by Israel's military and armed contractors. Last week, Jens Laerke, the UN spokesperson for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said the GHF 'is not delivering supplies safely to those in need' and the GHF was a 'failure' from a humanitarian point of view. Exhausted Palestinians who walk off the correct route to the GHF aid centres or linger too long in despair after aid runs out are shot at and killed daily. Tanks are also used to fire at civilians. These are supposed to be warning shots. The banning of international media from Gaza by Israel since the war began in October 2023 is a key factor as to why the war is so extreme. If, for example, the UK's Channel 4 News or US CBS News were in Gaza reporting on the war, it would have had a quicker impact on governments calling on Israel to end the targeting of civilians in the most miserable war of the 21st century. Experienced aid agencies run by the UN, UK and others have been more restricted in Gaza since last March. There are requests for the UN to be allowed fully back in to deliver aid safely. Israel has as much a right as any country to ensure its security, but daily, casual killings by the IDF of civilians in Gaza is truly reprehensible. I hope Hamas will release the remaining hostages they took into Gaza in October 2023. They, too, endure terrible conditions. Mary Sullivan, College Road, Co Cork If Kneecap member can be charged, why not those flying the UVF's flag? Hezbollah is a proscribed organisation, and Mo Chara of Kneecap was recently before Westminster Magistrates' Court charged with displaying a Hezbollah flag. The UVF is also an illegal organisation, but for years I have witnessed UVF flags in Armagh, fluttering on poles. UK law extends to the North of Ireland, and surely there is a contradiction in the application of the rules. Sheila Ward, Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan Vandalism unacceptable, but Micheál Martin's point simply does not hold water Taoiseach Micheál Martin has referred to the smearing of his constituency office with red paint as 'undemocratic'. Wilful damage to any property is unacceptable. Those who carry out such acts of vandalism should remember repair costs will eventually be borne by the taxpayer. However, many might say the Taoiseach is not following the wishes of the people by until now failing/refusing to enact the Occupied Territories Bill as approved by the Oireachtas. Michael Moriarty, Rochestown, Co Cork A strike on Iran's nuclear facility would be a disaster for everyone in the region US president Donald Trump may or may not join the Israeli military action in Iran by sending a 30,000- pound bomb to destroy Iran's nuclear facility under a mountain. Have any of the 'leaders' of the US or Israel considered the deadly effects of a strike on the uranium stocks in Iran, including the US assets, and the millions of innocent people in the Middle East? James J Ryan, Co Limerick
