Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will be brief. I wish to raise two points with the Minister. The first is dance groups around the country. We were lucky during the recent lockdown that children were at least able to train outdoors for sport, but a lot of young people do not get involved in sport and, for them, dance is a very important physical activity, especially from a mental health as well as a physical health point of view. Because dance happens indoors, it is being shut down, point blank, under the current restrictions. It is a bit like the argument that was made about churches previously. The reality is that all of these groups have put together comprehensive plans to minimise risk. It is important that we do not just look at this purely from the point of view of managing Covid-19. We must weigh up the potential risks that exist, the comprehensive set of mitigation measures that are being put in place and we must also look at the physical and mental impact on children. I come back to the argument that I made to the Taoiseach on a number of occasions in terms of providing the evidence and data on this issue. The reality is that if it is done right and it is managed right there is a very minimal risk, but there is a significant benefit, in particular for young people. I ask the Minister to look at this issue.

The second issue is public houses. I accept that it is a complex issue. There are certain agendas, not within the Government, but with some of the medical advice regarding public houses in general and that is an issue that is going to have to be addressed. If public houses are managed properly, and the vast majority of them are, then there is not a risk with them. There were some that abused the situation, or there was abuse on their premises, and it did cause problems but that was in a minority of cases. That said, we need to look in a far more comprehensive manner at the licensed trade across this country in the same way as when we discussed post offices previously.

If there are two or three pubs in a village, is there a case for allowing a mechanism whereby some of those licences could be bought out to sustain the viability of the pubs that remain? Is there a way to put a comprehensive support package in place for the businesses that wish to remain in the sector in order to ensure we have that network across the country which is coming under severe strain and pressure? I believe that many publicans will never open their doors again. That will have its own impact on communities across the country. We need a far more comprehensive approach with regard to the licensed trade across the country. The Minister needs to bring all of the players around a table and come up with a blueprint and strategy for that sector because it is a key social outlet for so many people.

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