Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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243. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the Covid-19 guidance that is given to basketball clubs; and if she will consider an exemption under the appropriate level of restrictions for juvenile training where which no outdoor courts exist. [39875/20]

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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251. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the pathway in place to allow for the resumption of basketball for children when level 5 restrictions end; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39706/20]

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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255. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her views on a matter (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40101/20]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 243, 251 and 255 together.

The Framework for Restrictive Measures 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 COVID-19. The Government’s strategy, in line with the public health advice, is disease suppression. COVID-19 spreads when individuals and groups come into close contact with one another, enabling the virus to move from one person to another. The risk of infection spread is greater in certain environments than others e.g. uncontrolled environments, crowded and noisy places, indoor environments, and poorly ventilated spaces.

Given the current epidemiological situation, 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 sports such as basketball.

In Levels, 3, 4 and 5 of the Government's Resilience and Recovery Plan, sporting competitions and events - indoors or outdoors - are not permitted except for defined exempted athletes and teams, as set out in the public health regulations. Individual training indoors is permitted in Level 3 and Level 4, however indoor exercise and dance classes are not.

I recognise that there is great disappointment among those who wish to engage in sport. There has been, and will continue to be, a regular, ongoing engagement with the sports sector, including with the National Governing Body for basketball. In addition to direct engagement with Sport Ireland, the statutory agency for the development of sport in Ireland, sporting organisations 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 National Governing Body for basketball on its return to sport protocols.