Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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318. To ask the Minister for Health the reason elite athletes such as elite swimmers are not allowed to continue training during the level 5 lockdown restrictions; if he has had any engagement with an organisation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34433/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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You will be aware that the situation regarding COVID-19 has been, and continues to be, an evolving situation. COVID-19 is still having a major impact both here in Ireland and elsewhere.

On Tuesday 15 September the Government published ‘Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19’. This Plan outlines our medium-term strategy for COVID-19 and sets out a Framework of 5 Levels which outline the broad measures which will apply depending on the level of the virus at any given time. It will be possible for different regions and counties to be at different levels, depending on prevailing epidemiological situation . The Plan is designed to help everyone – individuals, organisations and sectors – to better understand, anticipate and prepare for the measures that might be introduced to contain transmission of the virus. The intention is that Departments and sectors will provide guidance for specific sectors and activities in line with the 5 level framework. As such, engagement with sporting organisations is more appropriate to Sport Ireland and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.

At Level 5, no training or matches should take place, with the following exceptions:

- non-contact training can continue for school aged children, outdoors in pods of 15

- professional, elite sports and senior inter-county Gaelic games, horse-racing and greyhound racing are permitted to continue behind closed doors.

Carded swimmers and those in the high performance programme can therefore continue their training at Level 5.

Sport Ireland issued guidance to all of the National Governing Bodies, including Swim Ireland, on 22 October on participation in sport during Level 5. That guidance outlines the position regarding professional and elite sportspersons, who are permitted to train during Level 5. The guidance is available here: www.sportireland.ie/news/return-to-sport-expert-group-issues-guidance-to-sports-sector.