To ask the Minister of Education to clarify the position of voluntary organisations following notification from the Duke of Edinburgh NI Office to the Education Authority that they are not permitted to operate under the current Education Authority Operating Centre Licence.

The DofE Northern Ireland office has notified the Education Authority (EA), that Voluntary Grammar Schools, Grant Maintained Integrated Schools, Independent Schools and some voluntary youth organisations are not permitted to operate under the terms of the current EA Operating Centre Licence. DofE Northern Ireland have written to affected schools and voluntary youth organisations inviting them to become a ‘Directly Licensed Centre’.

I understand DofE Northern Ireland have assured affected settings that they have secured funding for the cost of the licence fee and any other associated costs (staff training, or additional insurance premiums) to ensure that a transition to a Directly Licensed Centre is initially cost neutral for schools and voluntary youth organisations and that there is a longer-term plan for ongoing licence fee support. The funding for the initial license fee will come from DofE NI directly.