Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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241. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the rationale behind the decision made regarding children’s gymnastic classes under level 3 of the living with Covid plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41678/20]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The Government’s COVID-19 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.

I am cognisant of the significant impact the COVID-19 crisis has had, and continues to have, on the sports sector, including for the sport of gymnastics.  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.  While the Government acknowledges the positive role sport and physical activity plays for physical and mental health, the scientific advice is clear that we need to reduce as much as possible the numbers of people congregating, in order to reduce the spread of the virus. For this reason, in the current Level 3 restrictions, no group training or exercise classes are permitted indoors, including children's gymnastics classes.

While children's gymnastics classes are not permitted in the current Level 3 restrictions, engagement with the sport sector is ongoing. I am committed to ensuring the earliest possible safe return of such classes. To that end I have recently written to all National Governing Bodies, including Gymnastics Ireland, seeking written submissions and all available evidence and data for the purposes of informing the development of tailored proposals and approaches for future mitigation measures. It is my objective that such submissions would enable the Government to review and potentially adapt the suite of public health measures currently applying to sport and exercise activities. 

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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242. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she has engaged with or plans to engage with any of the organisations that provide children’s gymnastic classes to hear their concerns regarding Covid-19 restrictions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41679/20]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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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 national governing body for gymnastics in Ireland.

I am committed to ensuring the earliest possible safe return of such classes. To that end I have recently written to all National Governing Bodies, including Gymnastics Ireland, seeking written submissions and all available evidence and data for the purposes of informing the development of tailored proposals and approaches for future mitigation measures. It is my objective that such submissions would enable the Government to review and potentially adapt the suite of public health measures currently applying to sport and exercise activities.

In addition to direct engagement with Sport Ireland, the statutory agency for the development of sport in Ireland, sporting organisations including Gymnastics Ireland, 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. 

Currently, in Level 3 individual training indoors is permitted, however indoor exercise and gymnastics classes are not. I recognise that there is great disappointment among those who wish to engage in such classes. However, 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 indoor sports training, gymnastics and exercise classes.