EDUCATION Minister Paul Givan has declined 205 meetings with groups or organisations since he took up office, it has emerged.
In a Freedom of Information request, SDLP councillor Séamas de Faoite asked the Department of Education: "How many groups, individuals or organisations have requested but then been refused a meeting with the minister?"
In response, the Department said Givan had declined "205 meetings to date".
No details of which organisations had been unable to obtain a meeting with the minister were revealed in the response.
Councillor de Faoite said: "Like many people, I was quite concerned that the minister had met with the LCC, particularly as we had a lot of feedback from other groups and organisations who had sought to meet with the minister and had been turned down," he told BBC Good Morning Ulster.
"Groups that have all tried and sought to meet the minister and have been refused."
SDLP MLA Matthew O'Toole also questioned the minister in the assembly on Monday.
In response, Givan said that he had accepted 324 invitations to meet from "schools, individuals and many organisations" since taking up office.
The minister said he had "fulfilled hundreds of these, including visits to many schools and community facilities that represent every part of our society".
"Given the significant demands on my diary, it would not be possible to accommodate every request," he continued.
"I will not make any apology for making sure that we seek to move every part of our society forward."
