Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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1020. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the level Ireland will need to be at before events such as agricultural shows are allowed to run safely under Covid-19 rules; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13032/21]

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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1021. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the level of Covid-19 restrictions that agricultural shows will be permitted to run behind closed doors with exhibitors only in attendance adhering to Covid-19 guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13033/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1020 and 1021 together.

For public health reasons, the Government has advised that people should stay at home except in a number of situations, which includes travelling to and from work where the work is considered to be an essential service. Those essential services and other important information are published on www.gov.ieand Regulations are in place to support these measures. The measures are made based on expert advice from the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) and are kept under ongoing review by that group, with the over-riding consideration being the protection of public health in the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic.

I fully appreciate and acknowledge the positive benefits that these shows provide to the agricultural and wider rural communities and I am eager to see their resumption. However, decisions regarding the holding of these events, will only be made in the context of overall national strategies in relation to protecting public health.