Sport Ireland must ensure equal treatment in its approach to public health restrictions – Richmond

Sport Ireland must ensure equal treatment for sports allowed under Level 3, a Fine Gael TD has said.

Deputy Richmond was speaking as it emerged that golfers are now allowed to cross county boundaries to access their home club.

Deputy Richmond said: “The announcement from Sport Ireland that golfers can cross county boundaries to access their home club is really positive. We should be encouraging people to get out for fresh air and exercise, particularly at the moment as we all seek to look after our physical and mental health during the pandemic.

“However, we must ensure equal treatment for all sports. If someone is allowed cross their county boundary to get to their golf club, they should be able to make the same journey to access whatever club or facility they use for sports allowable under Level 3 of the Government’s COVID-19 guidelines.

“Non-contact training is allowed for some sports in Level 3, in pods of up to 15 people. We must ensure that those sports people are not prohibited from accessing their club or facility if it is across a local county boundary. The latest announcement about crossing county boundaries simply refers to golf. I am calling on Sport Ireland to give clarity on this.

“We have also seen an anomaly where elite underage GAA matches are allowed to take place under Level 3, yet elite underage soccer matches are not. What is the reason for this inconsistency? Surely the League of Ireland’s U-17 and U-19 leagues should be allowed to recommence if the underage championships in Gaelic football and hurling are going ahead. More generally, it is really important that matches can recommence for all underage sports as soon as possible.

“I have raised these matters in the Dáil and will continue to do so, but it is now time for clarity from Sport Ireland. We cannot have rules that benefit some sports people and exclude others.”

Deputy Richmond added, “As someone who has been involved in all sport, including women’s sport as a coach and administrator, I also condemn the treatment of the Cork and Galway teams at the All Ireland semi-final yesterday. The players were treated poorly and deserve more respect. And in the context of a global pandemic and reduced sport, the fans at home are living for any live matches they can get right now. To see this match deprived of the live TV coverage it deserved was a real shame.”