Government under pressure to allow golf and tennis to resume

Pressure is mounting at Cabinet level for sports such as tennis and golf to be allowed recommence when the Government’s revised Living With Covid plan is published next week. Picture: Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile

Pressure is mounting at Cabinet level for sports such as tennis and golf to be allowed recommence when the Government’s revised Living With Covid plan is published next week.

The plan is expected also to see a relaxation of travel limits beyond the 5km limit currently in place, perhaps to 10km or even to within your county.

While sources have said no discussion on sports took place at Cabinet on Tuesday, there is a mounting expectation among ministers that with the weather improving and the fall in Covid cases, some relaxation of non-team sports is now justified.

The Irish Examiner understands that in the wake of the phased re-opening of schools and construction, Government ministers want a detailed roadmap as to when the country will open up again.

“While we might not see specific dates, if businesses in certain sectors could at least be given a roadmap as to where they come in the pecking order then that would be useful,” said one minister.

It is likely that “relatively soon” outdoor dining for up to 15 people will be permitted as well as the relaxation in travel limits.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said it was too early to say whether staycations will be possible this summer.

He said the Government was hoping to give clarity on the issue of domestic summer travel within the next few weeks.

Mr Donohoe said any advice issued on staycations would be contingent on public health guidelines, and the Government would give the Irish holiday sector “good notice” so they could plan and prepare, if necessary.

“With so many families, holiday plans at home and definitely abroad have been booked and rebooked and changed so many times over the last 12 months,” he said.

"Will we be able to travel across our country during the summer? It does depend on where we’re going to be with the disease, and we will do our best to give plenty of notice to those in our hospitality sector, and then of course to families and potential domestic tourists. I can’t answer that question for you today,” he said.

On the issue of Covid support payments, the minister said the Government would reach a formal decision on payment extensions “very, very soon.”

Mr Donohoe said the supports had cost about €2.25bn to date and that the schemes were necessary to protect jobs and to ensure the economy could recover.

While the supports had increased the national debt significantly, Mr Donohoe said the country’s creditworthiness and ability to borrow at very low-interest rates justified the borrowing to protect jobs.

He said a new national wage agreement was important to recognise the “great work” of frontline workers and would avoid “competing wage claims”.

If the agreement was reached it would recognise claims and avoid the “vista” of “wage claim after claim”.

He was speaking after Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said it will be possible to holiday in Ireland this summer as trips abroad aren't advised in 2021 due to Covid-19.