Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am surprised no one from Kilkenny has surfaced yet but this is a fair canvass from across the country. There is ongoing engagement between NPHET and an expert sporting group on this matter. I am very conscious of it and I spoke to the acting CMO about it last week when we deferred phase 4 of reopening. We had to defer it on an absolute basis across the board and it was an important step at the time to try to check the spread of the virus and stabilise the situation. The evidence so far indicates that the situation has, indeed, been stabilised. As knowledge of the virus evolves, it is fair to state that lumping outdoor and indoor events together may not be the optimal approach. It is clear that the virus is very lethal in indoor settings and there has to be a particular focus on indoor activity and behaviour. As Deputies have noted, outdoor behaviour is different. I did not expect players and mentors to be included in that figure of 200, to which Deputy Gould alluded. That has reduced the number allowed at matches to a minimal figure. I will work on this and the Minister for Health and NPHET are also engaged on the issue. The GAA and other sporting bodies have been lobbying effectively and strongly and we will try to respond in a positive but safe way to these queries. It is great to see the club championships back up and running. It is fantastic that players are out training and playing again because that is giving much joy to people across the country and helps achieve milestones in combatting Covid-19.

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