Robert Troy
Question:283. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if indoor stage schools can resume as of 9 January 2021 (details supplied). [45191/20]
View answerWednesday, 13 January 2021
Questions (283, 288)
Gerald Nash
Question:288. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media further to Parliamentary Question No. 258 of 8 December 2020, if the term "individual" specifies only one student in a room; if not, if it means many students as long as they meet the social distancing criteria; if the requirement for an excess of 2 m social distancing between each of the predefined areas pertains to a 2 m square bubble or 2 m around a 2 m square bubble; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44902/20]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 283 and 288 together.
The Government’s Living with COVID-19 Plan sets out how services should operate at five different levels. The country is at present at Level 5 of this Plan and this will apply nationally. The Level 5 restrictions will remain in place until midnight on 31 January 2021.
At Level 5, the public health risk means that people are being asked to stay at home, except for travel for essential work or other essential purposes, or to take exercise within 5km of home. There will be no gatherings other than small numbers at funerals and weddings. No indoor or outdoor exercise group activities, including those involving children, should take place.
Under Level 5 no exercise or dance classes, no indoor or outdoor gatherings involving “individual training” except for professional and elite sports should take place.
My Department provides regular guidance for the Arts and Culture sector in respect of current restrictions in relation to COVID-19 and the latest information can be accessed on the gov.ie website at the following link: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/d35dd-covid-19-guidance-for-arts-and-culture/ . My Department is also in regular contact with the Arts Council, and other parts of the Government, ensuring how best to manage through the crisis.
The Arts Council have prepared guidance on dance practice and training, when restrictions permit and these are available on their website. In addition the Arts Council supports a number of resource and representative organisations to provide advice and information to artists within their given sector and many of these are providing support and advice online. Further information on these resource organisations can be accessed on the Arts Council website at the following link: http://www.artscouncil.ie/covid-19/latest-news/ .
It is recognised that this decision will have an impact on people’s lives and livelihoods, but the clear message is that we must all now stay at home, with the exception of essential purposes, in order to stop the spread of the virus. Level 5 of the Plan for Living with COVID-19 means that the virus poses a serious threat and the rate of infection is increasing significantly in the community. The more we work together to reduce the level of the virus, the more activity we will be able to have in our communities.
Supports such as the PUP and the CRSS will continue to be made available to those impacted. Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) is also available to help maintain people in jobs. Further details of the range of government supports available to help businesses impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. Can be viewed at the following link https://enterprise.gov.ie/en/What-We-Do/Supports-for-SMEs/COVID-19-supports/