GAA said they will resume games 'when the country was ready', Department claims

Earlier today, the Irish Examiner sent a number of questions to the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media in light of the decision to discontinue inter-county GAA activity

Earlier today, the Irish Examiner sent a number of questions to the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media in light of the decision to discontinue inter-county GAA activity.

The responses can be read below:

Question: Statutory Instrument No 653/2020, making an exemption for inter-county players at senior, U20 and minor level, came into operation on December 18, 2020. It was replaced by Statutory Instrument No 701/2020 on December 31, 2020 in which reference to inter-county is removed. Why was the exemption removed and who took the decision?

Response: The Government’s decisions on public health restrictions as set out in SI No. 701 of 2020 are all aimed at reducing mobility and person-to-person contact with a view to suppressing the level of transmission of COVID-19 in the community. For this reason, the Government agreed that the exemption for elite and professional sport must be restricted to the categories of athletes and sportspeople as detailed in the Statutory Instrument. Earlier in 2020, during Level 5 in October-November, an exemption from the framework had been put in place to allow for the inter-county championships and this was not included in light of the completion of the Championship and extremely high prevalence of the virus. As the Taoiseach said an updated roadmap is being prepared to review the public health restrictions, including those relating to sport and exercise.

Question: Did NPHET provide advice or were they advised regarding this decision?

Response: The issue of restrictions on sport and exercise was referenced in the letters provided by the CMO to the Government in December and January, which are available here:  No new decision on this matter was taken. Clarification was provided at the meeting this week on the current regulations that underpin level 5 restrictions.

Question: Minister Chambers today made the distinction between League of Ireland and GAA on the basis of professionalism. Does he accept that several LoI teams are not professional or semi-professional and are not in a position to bubble?

Response: Statutory Instrument No. 701/2020 specifies that football players contracted to soccer clubs are exempted from the public health restrictions on sports training and competitive events/matches. The Minister of State met last week with the FAI who briefed him on the preparations for the commencement of the League of Ireland season which has been postponed until 19 March. The FAI confirmed to the Minister that the association and the League of Ireland clubs will continue to comply with all relevant public health regulations and advice. The public health restrictions currently in place will be reviewed in advance of their expiry on 5 March and consideration will be given as to what sporting activity and exercise can be permitted. The regulations will be updated thereafter, if necessary.

Question: Minister Chambers also said that the GAA made it clear "that there was not a massive appetite to return in the medium term". The GAA's National Leagues were due to start at the end of this month and there was hope expressed last week they could be rescheduled for the end of March, ie return to training later this month. How does that differ from the LoI's plans to start their season next month?

Response: Minister Chambers had a very positive engagement with the GAA, the LGFA and the Camogie Association this week. At that meeting the view was expressed that the GAA was ready to return to activity when the country was ready for it to return. Statutory Instrument No. 701/2020 specifies that football players contracted to soccer clubs are exempted from the public health restrictions on sports training and competitive events/matches.

Question: In determining their position on GAA and Level 5 in 2021, did the Government make a distinction between the National Leagues and the Championship?

Response: In correspondence to the GAA, Camogie Association and LGFA on 22 October, the Department advised the three associations that the Government’s decision to permit the inter-county championships to proceed in the Level 5 restrictions was a concession outside of the framework approved by Government. The letter confirmed that teams eliminated from the championships would thereafter have to suspend their training activities. The National League was not referenced in the correspondence. In the current Level 5 restrictions, and in response to the very high levels of cases, hospitalisations and deaths associated with COVID-19 since December, the Government has decided that only a very limited number of professional and high performance athletes are permitted to continue to train and compete, as set out in S.I. No. 701 of 2020. The current public health restrictions will be reviewed by Government in advance of the 5 March. Consideration will be given as to what sporting activity and exercise can be permitted and the regulations will be updated thereafter, if necessary.