Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am sharing time with Deputy Jim O'Callaghan.

As a member of the Special Committee on Covid-19 Response, I have had, perhaps, more opportunity than many Members to hear the different perspectives on this pandemic and the many opinions on how the Government should deal with restrictions, health interventions, testing regimes and the devastating economic and social impact on society. There are those whom one might describe as the Covid hawks, who want zero tolerance and maximum restrictions. On the other hand, there are those who might not quite be calling for herd immunity but who are seeking to tip the balance towards living with the virus more than public health restrictions allow. My view is that the Government has treaded a middle course between the two in dealing with the pandemic. It has sought to protect lives and livelihoods in equal measure. In many ways, we have protected the most vulnerable in society from this virus, and the financial intervention for those who are working and not working has been unprecedented.

I welcome the plan. It helps us look forward for the next six to nine months. The strategy is to suppress the virus. It is a public health-led plan which involves acting quickly and locally and targeting the spread of the virus to protect lives, health services, schools, colleges and jobs. It has easily understood geographical boundaries for restrictions and easily understood levels of restriction. Each level is not a judgment on how a particular sector is operating or even how safe that activity is. Instead, it is a judgment on how that activity increases discretionary social contact or decreases it. That is the guiding light in this plan. That is the coherence and beauty of the plan.

Undoubtedly, this virus has had a massive impact on mental health. Sport is a great outlet to help deal with that. I understand the restrictions, but I call on the Minister to review the restrictions in level 3 for fitness classes, which I believe can be meticulously balanced for fitness classes that help mental health and have safe regimes. I have been contacted by entrepreneurs who have invested in sport and business in my local community. They are on their knees. I believe we can help them while still protecting against the virus. We can also do the same regarding sports matches without spectators for children. I call on Sport Ireland to have a level playing field in how it governs restrictions for all sports codes.

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