The Loyalist Communities Council (LCC) has met Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) Minister for Communities Gordon Lyons.

The Department for Communities confirmed that a meeting took place “to discuss economic and social deprivation in unionist communities”.

It comes after fellow DUP minister Paul Givan faced criticism for meeting the group last month over proposals to build an Irish language school in east Belfast.

The LCC includes representatives from paramilitary groups the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and Ulster Defence Association (UDA).

Givan had previously defended his meeting, adding that nobody other than him will dictate which schools should open or close.

The Department for Communities said the meeting with Lyons was arranged at the request of the LCC.

On Wednesday, it said Lyons had “highlighted the work he is progressing in relation to an anti poverty strategy, his commitment to ensuring an adequate supply of good quality housing and the importance of education and the development of skills in areas of deprivation”.

“Minister Lyons emphasised at the meeting that politics and democratic processes are the only way that we will succeed in shaping Northern Ireland and dealing with the challenges we face.”

The LCC said a delegation met Lyons to ask him to consider conducting a fresh “needs analysis on loyalist and unionist communities that continue to suffer economic deprivation, educational disadvantage, and infrastructure neglect”.

“This analysis should inform the minister on where scarce resources should be targeted to best address these problems,” a statement added.

The LCC delegation also urged Lyons to look at providing social housing in the Shankill Road, Sandy Row and Suffolk Road areas of Belfast where “large sites have been available for years but remain unbuilt”.