To ask the Minister of Education, following the amalgamation of Education and Library Boards, how his Department will work alongside the North Eastern Education and Library Board Youth Service to ensure they can continue to support local communities and the specific educational needs of young people.

The single Education Authority, when established, will have a statutory duty to deliver and support youth work. Services will be delivered in line with the Department’s priorities as set out in Priorities for Youth. The Regional Youth Development Framework will provide a clear framework for the delivery of youth services in response to assessed need. It will be a matter for the Education Authority to decide how services can be delivered most effectively within that context.