Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)
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716. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if support is available to voluntary community sporting organisations to assist them in the purchase of hand sanitiser and protective equipment and for the sanitising of facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13293/20]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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A funding package of up to €70 million was announced on Friday 19th June to support the sport sector, which has been significantly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

This funding package includes;

- Funding of up to €40m for the three main field sports organisations – the FAI, the GAA and the IRFU.  

- a Resilience Fund of up to €10m to support the National Governing Bodies of Sport,

- a Sports Club Resilience Fund of up to €15m to support clubs, and

- a Sports Restart and Renewal Fund of up to €5m. 

Along with the Roadmap accelerations also announced on 19th June, this funding package will ensure the survival of our vibrant sport sector, particularly the network of clubs throughout the country.

This additional funding will be invested through new grant schemes which will be developed by Sport Ireland and my Department and administered by Sport Ireland. The precise terms of each of the new grant schemes will be announced by Sport Ireland in due course.  

Sport Ireland will announce an open invitation to applications from funded bodies for assistance under the grant schemes.

Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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717. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when driver tests will return in order to facilitate frontline workers that had provisional licences prior to the Covid-19 pandemic to graduate to a full licence; if special arrangements exist for emergency driver licence tests for persons in such circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13353/20]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Due to the closure of services provided by the Road Safety Authority (RSA) as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak, regulations to extend the validity of number of documents, including the learner permit, were put in place.  Any learner permits which were due to expire from 1 March 2020 to 30 June 2020 inclusive have had their period of validity extended by 4 months.

The resumption of car driver testing raises particular problems in terms of compliance with the Protocol and in particular social distancing rules, as it requires the driver tester and the candidate to be within a two metre distance continuously for a period in excess of 20 minutes, in a very confined space which is not in itself a workplace under the control of the RSA.

I am pleased to be able to inform the Deputy that driver testing services resumed yesterday on a phased basis, in line with Phase 3 of the Government Roadmap.  At present, driving tests are available for trucks, buses and motorcycles, with testing for cars, vans and minibus due to resume in July before Phase 4 commences on 20 July. Final dates for service resumption remain under discussion and are dependent on continued positive progression of the country against the overall Government roadmap.

The Road Safety Authority has always reserved a number of driving test slots each week for candidates who need a full driving licence urgently, and this service will continue after the resumption of the driving test service. 

Any special arrangements which will need to be put into place to allow for the provision of the service, including the wearing of facemasks, are being determined in consultation with the relevant health authorities.

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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718. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the latest advice or direction for travel agents regarding cancelled holidays and ticket exchange requests from customers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13354/20]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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On 19 June, legal provisions were introduced to provide State backing for a new, temporary form of voucher called a Refund Credit Note, which can be issued by Irish licensed travel agents and tour operators to their customers where a booking has been cancelled due to Covid-19 travel restrictions.

Whilst consumers are entitled to a full cash refund under the Package Travel Directive in circumstances where a package holiday has to be cancelled because of Covid-19 restrictions,  customers can also agree to accept a Refund Credit Note instead of cash.  If they do, which helps stem the immediate cash drain being experienced by the sector, then the State will stand over the cash value of that Note in the event that the issuer goes out of business. Consumer protections are therefore safeguarded. All relevant information is available on the Department's website at

Further guidance on the right of travellers to terminate package travel contacts due to the unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak is available at the following link: