GAA, IRFU and FAI to make joint submission on reopening grounds

The GAA, IRFU and FAI are to hold a joint meeting this week before making a submission to the Government on proposals for reopening grounds and stadiums.

Their meeting comes as the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) meets on Thursday to discuss public safety measures, including whether it is safe to begin easing restrictions on sports events.

The State’s three biggest sporting organisations have asked the Government to include provision for an increased number of spectators at outdoor sports events when it publishes its major plan next Tuesday that will outline how the State will respond to the Covid-19 pandemic in the medium term.

Attendance numbers at outdoor events were scheduled to increase to 500 on August 8th under the previous roadmap. However, that number was reduced to a limit of only 15 people following a sharp increase in the number of cases that became evident from late July.

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The Cabinet sub-committee on Covid-19 will meet on Thursday to consider the latest advice from NPHET on the easing or imposition of public safety measures.

At a meeting with the major sporting organisations last Friday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Minister for Sports Catherine Martin, and the acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn were all understood to have stressed that participating in and spectating at sports events were very important for the wellbeing of society, and would be favourably disposed to increasing the numbers allowed at grounds if it were in keeping with public health advice.

Advisory group

An expert Government advisory group, which includes officials from major sporting organisations, is also meeting on Thursday to discuss the issue.

It is understood the sports organisations have been asked among other things to look at international experience, and the decisions taken by comparator states in this regard.

However, while some countries such as Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark did allow attendances of hundreds at sports grounds earlier this summer, some states have since reimposed more restrictive limits following increases in the numbers of Covid cases.

On Wednesday Mr Martin said there was a lot of concern about the rising numbers of Covid-19 infections in Dublin and Limerick, but ruled out immediate local restrictions for the two counties.

He said the Government’s longer-term plan for managing the virus, due on Tuesday, would “deal more comprehensively” with spikes in Covid-19 cases in the two counties.

“No specific decisions have been made in relation to those counties right now, and NPHET will continue to monitor the situation,” he told reporters at a press briefing at Government Buildings.

He said there would be a Covid-19 Cabinet meeting on Thursday, where this would be discussed “in great detail”.

The message to people in Dublin and Limerick was to remain “very vigilant, socially distant, reduce your social contacts”.

The Government had learned from regional responses like the local restrictions in Laois, Offaly and Kildare last month, but that did not mean it would apply the same response in other counties.

Restrictions

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar questioned the need to introduce restrictions in Dublin and Limerick when the incidence of Covid-19 cases was higher in Belfast or other European cities.

“As a citizen and resident of Dublin and a Minister responsible for business and employment, I would want a very good justification for that from the public health people as to why we would do anything more drastic in Dublin or Limerick than is being done in other cities around Europe that may have a higher incidence.”