Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 27 May 2020
815. Deputy Joe O'Brien asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will establish a resilience fund and associated task force to aid in protection and development of sports organisations that were financially impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. [7753/20]
View answerThe Government’s overarching, cross-sectoral approach to the COVID-19 pandemic is to ensure that economic activity recovers as quickly as possible, consistent with public health advice. Measures introduced by the Government to date, which have benefitted national sporting organisations include: the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme, the Pandemic Unemployment Payment and the series of enterprise supports ranging from liquidity funding, loan schemes and grants\vouchers, as well as deferred tax payments and deferral of commercial rates.
I am acutely aware of the particular difficulties and challenges facing sporting organisations. A COVID-19 Sports Monitoring Group, chaired at Ministerial level, has been established to engage directly with the sporting bodies. Sport Ireland is also directly engaging with the sporting bodies on an ongoing basis in relation to the development of protocols to facilitate a safe return to training and competition. An Expert Group on Return to Sport has also been established, which will provide guidance to the sporting bodies so that they can prepare for the phased return to sporting activity in line with the Government Roadmap for Reopening Business and Society.
This extensive engagement with the sport sector has highlighted the significant, adverse impact of COVID-19 at all levels of the Irish sporting landscape. It has also demonstrated the importance of implementing an appropriate and focused response to the challenges facing all strands of the sector, ranging from the local sporting organisations and clubs to the National Governing Bodies. It is accordingly intended to develop a Sport Recovery Action Plan, in consultation with the sector, aimed at minimising the impacts and preparing the sector to restart activity, as part of the national recovery and renewal. It is considered that these arrangements and plans will serve to protect and develop Irish sport for the future.
