Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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133. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the reason for cancelling dance classes for children as part of level 3 restrictions; the reason drama and singing classes can go ahead but dance classes cannot; if her attention has been drawn to the stress that many children are experiencing and the stress-relieving properties of dance; the supports available to assist persons running dance classes during level 3 restrictions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30167/20]

Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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134. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the reason dance has been excluded from new guidelines issued by the arts unit in her Department on the activities allowed children’s arts and culture under level three restrictions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30168/20]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 133 and 134 together.

The 'Resilience and Recovery Plan for Living with COVID-19' is a cross-government approach to managing the pandemic for the coming months. It sets out a framework on managing and living with COVID-19 and includes restrictive measures to help us to go about our daily lives as much as possible, while managing the virus.

The framework sets out five levels of response, each with a number of measures designed to help us all lower COVID-19 transmission and setting out what is permitted at that moment in time. All counties in Ireland are at Level 3 until midnight Tuesday 27 October.

The Government's priority is to keep schools, early learning and childcare services open and minimise disruption in the work force. This means that a number of services should be moved online and some businesses will be closed. In order to keep people safe, we have all been asked to reduce the number of people we meet to a minimum, and stay in our own counties. COVID-19 is highly infectious and we are asked to be extra careful when socialising and working with others.

Dance classes/schools are classified as exercise and sporting events under the Plan. Under Level 3 restrictions, indoor training is only permitted on an individual basis, therefore exercise and dance classes cannot take place. Non-contact training can take place outdoor in pods of up to 15. There are exemptions for professional/elite groups.