AQW 32765/22-27

Mr Andrew McMurray
Alliance Party
South Down

Tabled Date: 03/10/2025
Answered On Date: 04/11/2025
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Communities to detail any actions his Department has taken with respect to implementing Article 3(1) of the Activity Centres (Young Persons’ Safety) (Northern Ireland) Order 1998, since this matter has fallen under the remit of the Department for Communities.

Answer:

To date no action has been taken by the Department for Communities with respect to implementing Article 3(1) of the Activity Centres (Young Persons’ Safety) (Northern Ireland) Order 1998.

The Activity Centres (Young Persons’ Safety) (Northern Ireland) Order 1998 transferred from the Department of Education to the Department for Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) under the Transfer and Assignment Functions Order (NI) 1999 following devolution and subsequently to the Department for Communities following the restructuring of departments in 2016.

In 2007, DCAL through Sport NI, commissioned Adventure Activities Associates Ltd to complete research to consider implementation of statutory licensing requirements for Adventure Activity providers in Northern Ireland. The report found that a voluntary rather than statutory scheme would best suit Northern Ireland and was the preferred option by the industry and other representatives.

Adventuremark was adopted as the recommended voluntary accreditation scheme in Northern Ireland. The Department and Sport NI encourage all Adventure Activity Providers to complete this accreditation.