Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 28 April 2021
398. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the position regarding the reopening of large-scale gatherings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22085/21]
View answer399. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the position regarding the use of digital technology to enable the reopening of large-scale gatherings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22086/21]
View answer400. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the position regarding the use of rapid antigen testing to enable the reopening of large-scale gatherings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22087/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 398 to 400, inclusive, together.
The Government’s COVID-19 Resilience and Recovery 2021 - The Path Ahead plan sets out the Government’s objectives for the full recovery of social life, public services and the economy. The plan committed to the development of sectoral guidance for very large purpose built event facilities, for example: stadia, auditoriums, conference or event centres.
I have recently established a Live Entertainment Working Group in order to facilitate stakeholder consultation and develop COVID-19 Guidelines for the Live Entertainment sector. The Group includes stakeholders from across the live entertainment sector as well and those with appropriate technical knowledge in the planning, management and delivery of events. The Group will produce a high level principles set of guidance that all venue promoters can adopt for their specific purposes. The first meeting of this group was held on the 21 April 2021.
The Arts Council and Fáilte Ireland have also entered into a strategic partnership to develop guidance for the safe presentation of festivals and live events. This document is currently at the consultation stage and is due to be published shortly
While the timeframe for the resumption of entertainment events remains uncertain and, is dependent on public health considerations, it is critical that a set of COVID-19 guidelines is developed and ready in advance of the re-opening of the sector.
Funding of almost €6m has been allocated in Budget 2021 to meet existing commitments pertaining to Ireland’s hosting of the Ryder Cup in 2027 and to fund potential future bids for major events. Such events not only have benefits for sport, they can also contribute to economic growth and have the potential to help in Ireland’s recovery from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
When the epidemiological position allows the Department will facilitate the practical work of hosting test events and refining our approach to ensure a safe return for spectators to sports events.
While the report of the COVID-19 Rapid Testing Group was recently published on the 1st April 2021 the immediate focus is being placed on establishing an agile rapid test knowledge group, which will enable information on validated tests and sampling to be widely shared across government departments, agencies and sectors. While it is not intended for rapid tests to replace PCR testing it does however have a role to play as another valuable tool in Ireland’s battle against COVID-19.
