Dáil debates

Thursday, 17 December 2020

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate

Sports Organisations

8:50 pm

Photo of Jack ChambersJack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I join Deputy Andrews in wishing everybody who works in the Houses of the Oireachtas a happy Christmas and a peaceful new year. In my other role as Chief Whip, I have seen the dedicated public service and the effort of all the people in the Houses of the Oireachtas to keep our national Parliament operating in the really difficult time of Covid. I want to acknowledge that and I hope everyone gets a break. Like Deputy Andrews, I am looking forward to the all-Ireland finals on Saturday and Sunday. We are all excited about it. I have a split house because both my parents are from Mayo. We are looking forward to the match on Saturday and to the Dublin women's team playing on Sunday.

The Government, through Sport Ireland, is providing every support for our Olympic and Paralympic athletes as they prepare for the Tokyo games next summer. Sport Ireland has given assurance to athletes in the international carding scheme that their funding support will be rolled over into 2021. We have also assured the sporting bodies that funding for high-performance programmes will be maintained at the same level. The return to sport expert group has provided specific guidance to high-performance programmes to facilitate a return to training for athletes since last June. Specific guidance has also been developed in regard to international travel. While the Covid-19 pandemic, regrettably, led to the cancellation of many international events, we were heartened to see Irish athletes win 13 medals in major international competitions during 2020.

The athletes and teams preparing for Tokyo 2021 are currently exempted from public health restrictions on sports training and events. The athletes are continuing to train at the Sport Ireland Campus and other training centres throughout the country. Sport Ireland is also supporting the sporting bodies to organise competitive events for their elite athletes, including the Swim Ireland Irish winter meet currently under way at the National Aquatic Centre. Sport Ireland will continue to work with the Olympic Federation of Ireland, Paralympics Ireland and the performance directors in the national governing bodies of sport to prepare a team Ireland for the Olympic Games. I assure the Deputy that the Government will provide the athletes with all the support they need to achieve their performance targets in Tokyo.

The Government recognises the importance of a broader resumption of sport at the earliest possible date for all involved, especially the children and young people who have been hit so hard by the pandemic restrictions. Sporting organisations, facilities and clubs countrywide have either had to cease or greatly curtail their activities since the middle of March. The position differs from sport to sport depending on, for example, their season or whether they are indoor or outdoor sports. The Government fully understands the difficulties the restrictions have caused. However, those restrictions have been necessary to deal with the threat of Covid-19 as it has presented itself. It is important to note that the Government's resilience and recovery plan does not permit sporting competitions and events to be held at levels 3, 4 and 5, save for a limited number of exemptions. Those exemptions principally apply to professional and high-performance sport. I emphasise that this is applicable to a very small group of athletes and a limited number of competitions and events that are taking place. In each case, events are subject to strict compliance with detailed protocols to minimise the risk of disease transmission.

Under the current level 3 restrictions, the Government has decided that a small number of FAI national underage leagues for young women and men will be permitted to conclude their seasons. My Department has been assured by the FAI that the protocols and control measures applied for training and matches for these teams are equivalent to those applied for the senior teams. My Department is also satisfied that robust compliance structures are in place to ensure adherence to those protocols.

To be helpful to the Deputy, I am pleased to inform him that we have written to all the national governing bodies about trying to tailor specific solutions relevant to their sport in the context of level 3. We recognise that the broader resumption of sport will require tailored solutions for different sports, depending on the risks involved and ensuring we mitigate the impact of Covid.

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