Communities Minister Gordon Lyons meets with Loyalist Communities Council to discuss “economic deprivation, educational disadvantage and infrastructure neglect” in loyalist areas

It's the second time within a month that the LCC has met with a Stormont Minister after previously holding discussions with Education chief Paul Givan, which sparked criticism from certain quarters after the group advised Mr Givan that a proposal to build an Irish language school in east Belfast should be stopped.

The LCC, chaired by David Campbell, is an umbrella group which represents the Ulster Volunteer Force, Ulster Defence Association and Red Hand Commando.

In a press release, the Council says the delegation asked Minister Lyons "to consider conducting a fresh needs analysis on loyalist and unionist communities that continue to suffer economic deprivation, educational disadvantage, and infrastructure neglect."

The statement added: "This analysis should inform the Minister on where scarce resources should be targeted to best address these problems, and should ideally have the input of the Departments of Education and the Economy as well as his own Department.

"The delegation also asked the Minister to urgently look at how best new social housing can be provided in areas like the Shankill, Sandy Row, and Suffolk where large sites have been available for years but remain unbuilt."

The Department for Communities have been contacted for a statement.