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Stormont Education Minister Paul Givan has defended asking his officials to publicise a visit he made to a school in Israel , saying it was a “strictly non-political” message.

He also said the Department of Education social media post took less than one hour of administrative time.

The DUP minister has faced criticism and calls to resign since he took part in the fact-finding trip last week with a delegation of MLAs from Northern Ireland at the invitation of the Israeli government.

This has included a protest in Belfast city centre on Saturday and outside Parliament

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