Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 November 2020
1233. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if, under current restrictions, outdoor swimming is allowed as a fitness activity for a person who lives more than 5 km from the coast; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32730/20]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, ‘Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19’ outlines Ireland's strategy for dealing with COVID-19 over the next 6-9 months. It sets out a Framework of 5 Levels which outlines the broad measures which will apply depending on the level of the virus at any given time. The Plan is designed to help everyone – individuals, organisations and sectors – to better understand, anticipate and prepare for the measures that might be introduced to contain transmission of the virus.
Restrictions on domestic travel apply at Levels 3, 4 and 5 of the Plan.
As the Deputy will recall, Ireland is now at Level 5 of the Plan. Under Level 5, people are asked to stay at home and to exercise within 5 km of home. A number of exemptions are provided, including travel to and from work, where work involves providing an essential service; to attend education; to attend medical appointments and collect medicines and other health products; to travel to attend disability day services; to travel to attend a court; for food shopping; to take school aged children to permitted training; for vital family reasons, such as providing care to children, elderly or vulnerable people; for farming purposes; to attend a wedding or funeral and to visit a grave. Accordingly, the particular activity referenced by the Deputy would not appear to be encompassed within the exemptions provided for under the regulations.
Details of public health measures in place at Level 5, including domestic travel are available at https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/2dc71-level-5/
SI 448 of 2020 the Health Act 1947 (Section31A(6A)) (Covid-19) (No. 4) Regulations 2020 gives further clarification on the restrictions of movement under Level 5. The Regulation can be viewed at https://www.gov.ie/en/collection/1f150-view-statutory-instruments-related-to-the-covid-19-pandemic/
The public health advice relating to Covid-19 is kept under continuing review by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET), and it provides advice to Government in line with the current epidemiological position.
