Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

252. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if teenagers and young persons can be permitted to play sports without spectators present during level 3 due to the important role that sport plays in their development and mental health; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31018/20]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Under the Roadmap for Resilience and Recovery the application of the public health advice measures to suppress the disease transmission is intended to minimise the risks to public health while striking an appropriate balance in:

- prioritising some activities over others, including health and social care services, education and other essential needs; whilst:

- protecting work and economic activity, and other key societal interests such as sports and important family gatherings, thereby allowing as much of society and business to continue as much as possible while continuing to make every effort to suppress the virus.

Due to prioritising of activities under level 3 of the Government’s framework, no matches or events are to take place. There is an exemption for professional and elite sport along with inter-county GAA which can continue to train with matches/competitions for those individuals. Definitions for those involved in professional and elite sports have been provided to the sports sector.

While there are restrictions on matches and events, participants (including teenagers) can engage in the following activities under level 3.

- Outdoors, no contact in a pod of up to 15

- Indoors, individual training can be conducted.

In view of the benefits to physical and mental health, while balancing the risks to public health due to the current prevalence of the virus, the provision for outdoor non-contact training in pods of 15 has been maintained in the new Level 5 provisions announced last night for underage grades.