AQW 20956/17-22

Ms Kellie Armstrong
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 25/06/2021
Answered On Date: 15/07/2021
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education to confirm what insurance cover is in place to provide cover for any person or property damaged by heat emanating or fire from bonfires located on her Department's lands including those controlled by the Education Authority, such as the land at the former Castle Gardens Primary school site in Newtownards.

Answer:

The Education Authority, which is self-insured, indemnifies Controlled, Catholic Maintained and Irish Medium schools in respect of their Public Liability risks and will meet claims for personal injury and damage to property arising from any negligence on the part of such schools or the Authority itself. All other school sectors have their own insurance arrangements.

The Authority would not cover any claims for personal injury/damage to property due to heat or fire emanating from bonfires lit by third parties without authority on school sites or lands controlled by it unless negligence on the part of either the relevant school or the Authority has been established.