Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Apologies. There were two things that I did not clarify. If the Garda Commissioner writes to my Department, I am not sure whether or not that can be published but I can certainly check.

Regarding game and shooting, there seems to be a suggestion that the gardaí themselves decided that this was not something that could go ahead, which is simply not the case. We have a situation where if somebody plays golf and has a golf course within 5 km of his or her home, and decided to go out on his or her own to play golf as if they decided to go for a walk, he or she cannot do it. We have asked people to stay within 5 km of their home and only to move outside of that to go for exercise. This is a sport. They have fought for many years for it to be seen as a sport and in the same way that many sports are not going ahead with the level 5 restrictions, it is the same for shooting. This is not a decision of the gardaí. This is applied as part of the level 5 restrictions.

Deputy Fitzpatrick asked about the issue of mass and whether somebody would be sent to prison or fined. The answer is "No". While it is against the law, we have not imposed a penal provision in this regard. It might not make sense but a decision was taken that this was not something we wanted a penal provision to be attached to. It is against the law. We ask people not to attend. We have asked priests. This is a difficult time for those I know. Mass is important for them every week or every day but we are asking people, particularly throughout these level 5 restrictions, to adhere to these regulations. There is not a penal provision so a person will not be put in prison or fined.

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