To ask the Minister for Communities to provide his assessment of how the safety of young people, in a paid-for adventure experience, is being ensured (i) in the absence of the licensing scheme that is required under The Activity Centres (Young Persons’ Safety) (Northern Ireland) Order 1998; and (ii) in light of the closure of Tollymore National Outdoor Centre, for the training and accreditation of adventure sport instructors to nationally recognised health and safety standards.

At present in Northern Ireland there is no statutory licencing requirement for Adventure Activity Providers however a Voluntary Accreditation Scheme operates which providers are encouraged to complete. Adventuremark is the recommended accreditation in Northern Ireland by my Department and Sport NI.

National Governing Bodies (NGB) that operate in the outdoor sport environment deliver accreditation to their members and instructors who can then go on to use training centres, such as Tollymore National Outdoor Centre or the natural environment. During the temporary closure of Tollymore National Outdoor Centre individuals can participate in training/accreditation through a number of other training centres throughout Northern Ireland that provide the recognised NGB training/accreditation for Adventure Sports Instructors, these are listed below:

Belfast Activity Centre (BAC)

Crawfordsburn Activity Centre

Greenhill YMCA Outdoor Education Centre

Lorne Estate

Bryson Energy – Pathway Adventure Activities

Todds Leap