Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have three brief comments not related to sport but they are pertinent to the Minister when he is in the Chamber. On 13 May I raised with the Minister the matter of face coverings on public transport and he will have heard today about the World Health Organization recommendations. Has the Minister changed his mind on this or will clearer guidance be given? It is essential that face coverings be worn while a person is on public transport.

The second matter relates to people over 70 who are receiving appointments from the National Driver Licence Service but who are still being turned away. The information on the website is very unclear so I would like the Minister to look into the matter.

My third comment relates to the national car test centres, where I am led to believe people are being charged a full amount instead of a recheck fee. Will the Minister provide clarity on those matters and commit to dealing with them? Perhaps the Department might liaise with me on that.

Covid-19 has had a detrimental impact on elite and grassroots sports in Ireland. We are all keen on sport and want to see it thrive or flourish. Many clubs in my constituency have seen an impact from the crisis and missed vital training and competition opportunities. They face serious issues of funding because of the effects of the virus and national ticket sales, media rights revenues and memberships have all dried up. Sporting participants and volunteers have, equally, lost out in training and other regular activities. Sport is an integral part of Irish life and our communities. We all work hard for our clubs. My colleague mentioned the resilience fund set up in New Zealand so I wonder will the Minister give a commitment on that. I am thinking particularly of our elite athletes and those who will compete in Tokyo but who will have to wait another year to do so. Will the Minister confirm what actions will be taken to support elite athletes and sporting clubs around the country?

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