Stormont debates doomed bid to remove Paul Givan as education minister - as motion branded a 'pantomime'

The People Before Profit no-confidence motion seeks to remove Mr Givan from post, and exclude him from holding office as a minister or junior minister for a 12 months.

It has the backing of Sinn Fein, the SDLP and Alliance – who have focused on the fact the Department of Education promoted a visit to a school in Jerusalem, branding the post political – something rejected by the department and the minister.

During the debate this afternoon, Sinn Fein’s Pat Sheehan said that the minister should commit to not return to Israel, and that he had lost the support of the majority of MLAs. “Do the right thing, go now minister, you’re an embarrassment” the West Belfast MLA said.

Ulster Unionist deputy leader Robbie Butler said: “This is not about the rule of law. It is about the rule of convenience. The rules apply to others when it suits, never to themselves.

“The Minister of Education’s visit to Israel is a matter currently being reviewed within his department. That assessment will bring the clarity that is needed, and that is the appropriate way for government to handle such questions.

“But until that process concludes, this Assembly should resist the temptation to play judge and jury for the sake of a headline”.

DUP MLA Jonathan Buckley said “today's pantomime confidence vote is nearing its final act” – and accused Sinn Fein of hypocrisy saying “their own military wing took the lives of many innocent babies in this country”.

Alliance deputy leader Eoin Tennyson said the minister could have apologised, but had instead “doubled down”.

“Successive attempts have been made in recent weeks to disgracefully overlay this debate with sectarianism and prejudice. These aren't orange or green issues people from right across our community are horrified at the disregard for the ministerial code for international law and for human rights.

“It is entirely possible to condemn the terrorism of Hamas on the seventh of October and the genocide which has followed”, he said.

Mr Givan’s trip to Israel was debated at Stormont last Monday – during which he said that senior officials had reviewed the conduct of of himself and departmental staff over the matter, and that all rules had been followed.

The DUP minister said that Sinn Fein “need to get the message very clearly” that the unionist people of Northern Ireland and his party had put him into office, and he will “never be dictated to” by the republican party.

Party leader Gavin Robinson accused Sinn Fein of having been “led by the nose by Gerry Carroll”.