Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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2880. To ask the Minister for Health if information can be provided on the planned reopening of children’s play activity and leisure centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39472/21]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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2925. To ask the Minister for Health when play centres can reopen; if there are extra supports in place for them in the meantime; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39654/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 2880 and 2925 together.

As the Deputies will be aware, on 29 June, Government announced the next phase of reopening the economy and society in line with Recovery and Resilience: The Path Ahead.

While significant progress is being made in relation to the roll-out of our vaccination programme, the rapidly increasing prevalence of the more transmissible Delta variant, and the significant risk this poses, in particular to those who are not yet fully vaccinated, meant that a number of higher risk indoor activities did not recommence as planned on 5 July, pending the implementation of a system to verify vaccination or immunity status.

Disease incidence has increased rapidly in recent weeks, especially among those who are not yet fully protected through vaccination and the outlook for the coming weeks is very uncertain.

Leisure centres are now open for individual training only.

Unfortunately, due to current uncertainties there is not yet an indication of when children's play activity centres will be permitted to reopen. The epidemiological situation will be monitored on an ongoing basis and the level of restrictions will be kept under review by Government.

Government has put in place a comprehensive package of supports to help businesses and workers during the pandemic, including the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS), the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP), the COVID-19 Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS), Small business assistance Scheme for COVID (SBASC), low-cost loans, the deferral and warehousing of tax liabilities and the waiver of commercial rates. The level of business supports is unprecedented.

Significant and sustained progress has been made on suppressing the virus over recent months due to the huge effort of people across the country. By working together, we have saved lives and limited the impact of the disease on society in Ireland. To protect the gains of recent months we must continue to practice basic preventative behaviours and to follow public health guidelines.