Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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126. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if consideration will be given to considering swimming lessons as essential education rather than a training or exercise class; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29846/20]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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Under the Roadmap for Resilience and Recovery the application of the public health advice measures to suppress the disease transmission is intended to minimise the risks to public health while striking an appropriate balance in:

- prioritising some activities over others, including health and social care services, education and other essential needs; whilst:

- protecting work and economic activity, and other key societal interests such as sports and important family gatherings, thereby allowing as much of society and business to continue as much as possible while continuing to make every effort to suppress the virus.

While public policy acknowledges that sport is central to societal well-being, in the context of the provisions set down under the Roadmap, it is not open to me to designate swimming lessons as equivalent to education or any other activity. Accordingly, the guidance as per training and exercise classes must apply.