Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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805. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to assist GAA clubs financially due to the loss of income caused by Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7668/20]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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The Government’s overarching, cross-sectoral approach to the COVID-19 pandemic is to ensure that economic activity recovers as quickly as possible, consistent with public health advice. Measures introduced by the Government to date, which have benefitted national sporting organisations such as the GAA and their clubs include: the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme, the Pandemic Unemployment Payment and the series of enterprise supports ranging from liquidity funding, loan schemes and grants\vouchers, as well as deferred tax payments and deferral of commercial rates.

I am acutely aware of the particular difficulties and challenges facing sporting organisations, both locally and nationally. A COVID-19 Sports Monitoring Group, chaired at Ministerial level, has been established to engage directly with the sporting bodies and the GAA has participated in every meeting of the group thus far. Sport Ireland is also directly engaging with the sporting bodies on an ongoing basis in relation to the development of protocols to facilitate a safe return to training and competition.

This extensive engagement with the sport sector has highlighted the significant, adverse impact of COVID-19 at all levels of the Irish sporting landscape. It has also demonstrated the importance of implementing an appropriate and focused response to the challenges facing all strands of the sector, ranging from the local sporting organisations and clubs to the National Governing Bodies such as the GAA. It is accordingly intended to develop a Sport Recovery Action Plan, in consultation with the sector, aimed at minimising the impacts and preparing the sector to restart activity, as part of the national recovery and renewal.