Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 3 December 2020
202. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the advice her Department can provide to those operating certain controlled environments (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41030/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government’s medium-term Strategy Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19, sets out Ireland's approach to managing and living with COVID-19, in a range of areas, over a period of 6 – 9 months.
The Plan aims to allow society and businesses to operate as normally as possible, while protecting our key priorities of supporting and maintaining health and social care services, keeping education and childcare services open and protecting the most vulnerable members of our communities.
Each of the Plan's five levels consists a “basket” of measures which are intended, collectively, to contribute to lowering the risk of transmission of Covid-19 in alignment with the risk level at that time. The set of measures, individually, do not comprise a list of activities or places which are equally safe, but are “baskets” of measures which are informed by public health understanding of the disease.
The number of people allowed to gather in different scenarios is based on experience and reviews of international practice and the judgment of public health experts. It seeks to balance the risks of different types of gatherings against the desire to allow normal activities to proceed in so far as possible.
Under the present level 3 of the National Framework, live performance in front of an audience is not permitted and theatres remain closed to the public. Under the Health Act 1947 (Section 31A – Temporary Restrictions) (COVID-19) (No. 9) Regulations 2020), the filming, or other recording of performances in a theatre, concert hall, museum or art gallery, without an audience present, for the purposes of broadcasting such performances on the internet, radio or television. Any activity under either of these provisions should only proceed with strict adherence to the Work Safely Protocols as published by Government. As such, these workplaces should be controlled environments with a named event organiser, owner or manager and with full protective measures in place.
