Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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201. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if art galleries will be allowed open with health and safety precautions in place when the public health restrictions change. [40937/20]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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The Government’s medium-term Strategy Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19, sets out Ireland's approach to managing and living with COVID-19, in a range of areas, over a period of 6 – 9 months.

The Plan aims to allow society and businesses to operate as normally as possible, while protecting our key priorities of supporting and maintaining health and social care services, keeping education and childcare services open and protecting the most vulnerable members of our communities.

As announced on 27 November, art galleries may re-open from 1 December 2020 with protective measures. See the Government's website at this link www.gov.ie/en/publication/ad569-level-3/#measures-in-place-from-1-december.

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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202. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the advice her Department can provide to those operating certain controlled environments (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41030/20]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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The Government’s medium-term Strategy Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19,sets out Ireland's approach to managing and living with COVID-19, in a range of areas, over a period of 6 – 9 months.

The Plan aims to allow society and businesses to operate as normally as possible, while protecting our key priorities of supporting and maintaining health and social care services, keeping education and childcare services open and protecting the most vulnerable members of our communities.

Each of the Plan's five levels consists a “basket” of measures which are intended, collectively, to contribute to lowering the risk of transmission of Covid-19 in alignment with the risk level at that time. The set of measures, individually, do not comprise a list of activities or places which are equally safe, but are “baskets” of measures which are informed by public health understanding of the disease.

The number of people allowed to gather in different scenarios is based on experience and reviews of international practice and the judgment of public health experts. It seeks to balance the risks of different types of gatherings against the desire to allow normal activities to proceed in so far as possible.

Under the present level 3 of the National Framework, live performance in front of an audience is not permitted and theatres remain closed to the public. Under the Health Act 1947 (Section 31A – Temporary Restrictions) (COVID-19) (No. 9) Regulations 2020), the filming, or other recording of performances in a theatre, concert hall, museum or art gallery, without an audience present, for the purposes of broadcasting such performances on the internet, radio or television. Any activity under either of these provisions should only proceed with strict adherence to the Work Safely Protocols as published by Government. As such, these workplaces should be controlled environments with a named event organiser, owner or manager and with full protective measures in place.

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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203. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if her Department will give advice to those operating activities within a controlled environment (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41031/20]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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The Framework for Restrictive Measuresis a risk management strategy designed to allow individuals, families, businesses and services to better understand, anticipate and prepare for the measures Government might introduce to escalation of the transmission of Covid-19. Each level of the framework contains a “basket” of measures which are intended, collectively, to contribute to lowering risk of transmission in alignment with the risk level at that time. The set of measures, individually, do not comprise a list of activities or places which are equally safe. Instead, they are “baskets” of measures which are informed by public health understanding of the disease and recognise that we can and must prioritise some activities over others.

The priority in level 3 is to keep health services, schools and early learning and childcare services open and minimise disruption in the work force. In order to keep people safe the public are asked to reduce the number of people they meet to a minimum and stay in their own county, until December 18^th.

The Health Act 1947 (Section 31A-Temporary Restrictions) (COVID-19) (No.9) Regulations 2020, give effect to the current Level 3 provisions. These regulations make specific provisions around dance classes, which like all exercise classes, are suspended at this level. There is, however, provision for individual and one-to-one instruction for dance at this level,which applies to sport, exercise and dance. While dance studios are closed at Level 3, they can provide facilities for use in individual dance practice or dance training.

In terms of the performing arts such as dance it should be noted that the Arts Council is in the process of preparing guidance on individual dance practice/training which will be available shortly. In the meantime, the Sport Ireland published guidance for individual training which may be used. This can be accessed at this link: www.sportireland.ie/covid19/individual-and-indoor-training).

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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204. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if her Department will advise those operating small pods in sports clubs (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41032/20]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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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.

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 group exercise and dance classes are not. Accordingly, boxing - whether for children or for adults - in a group of up to 6 is not permitted in Level 3.

On behalf of the Return to Sport Expert Group, Sport Ireland has issued practical guidance for the sports and physical activity sector on individual indoor training, which is available on its website at www.sportireland.ie/covid19/individual-and-indoor-training.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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205. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the reason the performing arts industry has been forgotten about as Ireland regresses the level 5 public health restrictions; and the reason socially distanced children’s drama dance classes are not allowed return to operate. [41035/20]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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The Government’s medium-term Strategy Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19, sets out Ireland's approach to managing and living with COVID-19, in a range of areas, over a period of 6 – 9 months.

The Plan aims to allow society and businesses to operate as normally as possible, while protecting our key priorities of supporting and maintaining health and social care services, keeping education and childcare services open and protecting the most vulnerable members of our communities.

Each of the Plan's five levels consists a “basket” of measures which are intended, collectively, to contribute to lowering the risk of transmission of COVID-19 in alignment with the risk level at that time. The set of measures, individually, do not comprise a list of activities or places which are equally safe, but are “baskets” of measures which are informed by public health understanding of the disease.

The number of people allowed to gather in different scenarios is based on experience and reviews of international practice and the judgment of public health experts. It seeks to balance the risks of different types of gatherings against the desire to allow normal activities to proceed in so far as possible.

Under the present level 3 of the National Framework, live performance can take place, but without a live audience and theatres remain closed to the public. Under the regulations, filming or other recording of performances in a theatre, concert hall, museum or art gallery, without an audience present is permitted for the purposes of broadcasting such performances on the internet, radio or television. Any activity under either of these provisions can proceed while adhering to the Work Safely Protocols as published by Government.

At level 3, indoor drama and dance classes, like all indoor exercise classes, remain suspended. There is, however, provision for individual and one-to-one instruction at this level which applies to sport, exercise and dance. While dance studios are closed at Level 3, they can provide facilities for use in individual dance practice or dance training.

Outdoors, events can be held for social, recreational, exercise, cultural, entertainment or community reasons with a limit of 15 people including event organisers, tutors and instructors. Reasons for such outdoor events include classes, for example exercise, dance or drama classes.

In terms of the performing arts including drama and dance it should be noted that the Arts Council is in the process of preparing guidance on individual dance practice/training which will be available shortly. In the meantime, Sport Ireland has published guidancewww.sportireland.ie/covid19/individual-and-indoor-training) which may be used for individual dance practice or one-to-one instruction.

Education is considered an essential service and encompasses primary and post-primary schools, and higher and further education where remote learning is not possible. Some drama, music and dance lessons may take place where they are required to comply with the national curriculum for primary and post-primary education. For these classes, schools are required to ensure that infection prevention control measures are in place in line with the School’s COVID-19 response plan and public health advice to limit the risk of spread of infection.