Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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70. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the discussions she has had with an organisation (details supplied) regarding Covid-19; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36659/20]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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There has been, and will continue to be, a regular, ongoing engagement with the sports sector as a whole, including with the body referred to by the Deputy, who I met in September.

In addition to direct engagement with Sport Ireland, the statutory agency for the development of sport in Ireland, sporting organisations including the body referred to by the Deputy, have also contributed to regular meetings of the Sports Monitoring Group, which is chaired at Ministerial level. Moreover, the Expert Group on Return to Sport, which is chaired by my Department, has reviewed and provided, via Sport Ireland, feedback to the body referred to by the Deputy on its return to sport protocols. 

As part of my commitment to a strong collaboration with the sports sector in pursuit of our ambitious policy aims, it is my intention to meet all of the sporting organisations in person when circumstances permit.

Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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71. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she is considering amendments to the sports section of the living with Covid plan for any future potential restrictions. [37155/20]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The Living with COVID-19 Framework for Restrictive Measures, published in mid-September, sets out the approach that the Government intends to take in the management of the pandemic over the period to mid-2021.  It is a risk management strategy designed to allow individuals, families, businesses and services better understand, anticipate and prepare for the measures Government might introduce to stop escalation of the transmission of the disease. The Government’s strategy, in line with the public health advice, is disease suppression.

Given the current epidemiological situation with high incidence of disease, widespread community transmission, and considerable numbers of hospitalisations and deaths, it has been necessary to put in place very significant restrictions to arrest the current trajectory of the disease and break transmission chains. This means asking people to stay at home and eliminating as much activity and contacts as is possible to ensure that opportunities for the virus to transmit are minimised, while allowing essential activities to continue. Unfortunately, this means minimising discretionary activities, including sporting activity.

While it is encouraging to note that COVID-19 data indicates improvements across a range of indicators, which gives us hope that the epidemiological situation is once again coming under control, it is too early at this point to consider the easing of restrictions. The current Level 5 restrictions will continue until 2 December. The suite of measures to be applied thereafter, including for the sport sector, will be decided by Government on the basis of the prevailing public health situation and in the context of the Framework published in September.

The Government recognises the impacts COVID-19 and the related public health measures are having on our mental health and well-being. The “Keep Well” campaign, launched on 29th October, is aimed at showing people of all ages how we can mind our own physical and mental health and well-being by adding healthy and helpful habits to our daily and weekly routines. It provides guidelines, information, and tips on things that will help us keep well through the coming months and into 2021. All of this is available on gov.ie/healthyireland.