Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 25 March 2021
264. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if guidelines will be issued to boards of management in community centres on hall rental and numbers when level 5 restrictions are lifted. [15983/21]
View answerPublic health guidance has been issued by Government, the HSE, the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HSPC), the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) and others. This guidance should be carefully considered and should form the basis for any COVID-19 related plans. As restrictions change this guidance will be updated as needed.
An information resource has been developed by my Department in conjunction with Pobal to help the community and voluntary sector with reopening, and this is available here: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/fd1c9-guidance-for-reopening-community-sector/
As restrictions change this guidance will also be updated as needed.
If community centres run by volunteers have paid workers on their premises, they should follow the Return to Work Safely Protocol which is on the following link: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/22829a-return-to-work-safely-protocol/. The employer is responsible for putting in place control measures, in consultation with a worker representative.
In cases where all involved are unpaid volunteers, and therefore the Health and Safety Authority would not have a role, a responsible person within the organisation should put in place appropriate measures before reopening.
As each facility and activity is different, there is an emphasis on personal responsibility and the need for people and organisations to exercise judgement in their activities. My Department encourages community and voluntary groups, regardless of the activity that they are involved in, to consider how the published information applies to them, and to put in place the appropriate measures when opening facilities to service users.
