Micheál Carrigy (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Today marks a significant milestone in Irish sport, with competitive action recommencing after nearly four months of lockdown. This is very much welcome for the mental and physical health of the nation. Owing, however, to the pause on phase 4 of the roadmap, the limit on attendance at outdoor sports events remains 200, to include all persons at the venue, instead of 500, as had been hoped for. NPHET has adopted a one-size-fits-all approach when this situation clearly is not one size. Crowds are gathering in parks, on beaches and in public places in groups of well in excess of the 200 permitted for sporting events. One need only look at Dundrum Town Centre, where people are 19 times more likely to contract the virus. The centre has a capacity of 6,000 people, while in my local club, Seán Connolly's in Longford, we could host more than 250 people around our pitch safely, adhering to the guidelines. Through its volunteers, the GAA has been to the forefront of the fight against the pandemic all over the country but especially in rural Ireland. The association has led the way in the development of a safe return to play protocol for teams, which has been shared by other sporting organisations. The protocol includes the completion by all players of a Covid-19 e-learning module, which over 200,000 people have completed, and a questionnaire and confirmation of a person's health status, which over 500,000 members have completed so far through the GAA website. The GAA has also not reopened dressing rooms. All of this proves that the GAA, by being embedded in the community, understands the risks involved and knows how to manage them. These measures have been designed to minimise risk and have been successful so far.

There should be allowances for sporting bodies such as the GAA to apply for an increase in the numbers allowed to attend matches in circumstances where appropriate control measures are in place. As part of the return to play guidelines, bodies such as the GAA have insisted on keeping spectators and participants separate from each other, and there is no interaction between those inside and outside of the game. The GAA and other bodies took a huge leap of faith in returning to action and did so for the benefit of their communities. While it would be great if the proposed 500 spectators could be revisited for sports, allowing these clubs to interpret the figure at outdoor sport gatherings to mean 200 in addition to those on the field would be of immediate importance and a great message from the Government. That would allow for a further minimum of 120 people to attend games and support the clubs and volunteers that have given so much to their communities during this pandemic.