Indoor summer camps “not permitted” say NPHET and Micheál Martin

Parents are not at all happy about this.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said summer camps for children cannot operate indoors because of “strong” advice from NPHET. Speaking yesterday about the “difficulties and significant disappointments” caused by this decision he said: “I do understand that [the disappointment] fully. But the motivation is a clear one. To protect people and to protect our hospitals. It is because of the Delta variant. "We want to protect the progress we have made to date. We now look at it sector by sector and obviously there will be other areas that are indoor that are going to come at us. We are doing this to protect society and to protect the progress and gains that we have made. That is the only motivation.”

The Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Catherine Martin has said: “Indoor activities, such as organised events including summer camps, group training, exercise and dance, are not currently permitted but the Government is keeping all matters under constant review and will make further decisions in relation to indoor activities in due course following updated health advice, consideration and consultation with relevant sectors.

“The Government recognises that this is a difficult decision for many sectors, and particularly for so many businesses which had believed they would be able to open this week.”

Business and families are all understandably upset about the news. Gillian Blaney-Shorte, founder of ArtZone Camps has been running limited outdoor version of the group's usual offering and said: “We really thought we would have had an income [this summer]. We have been funded to stay open. When they pull any funding I’m not sure groups like us will survive. I said I would go out fighting but we keep having to change our business to survive.” Many angry parents took to Twitter to express their disappointment about the decision.

If they say schools are safe surely indoor summer camps must be also with a lot less attending camps

— Lorraine Reilly ?? (@lorr_reilly) July 10, 2021

how can we be doing this to the kids yet again - consigning them to a summary of misery when parents are WFH yet the government is bending over backwards to accommodate hospitality?

— Seán Ó Loingsigh (@seandlynch) July 9, 2021

Absolutely sick to my stomach at the contradictions this govt keep making, kids can’t go to camp yet outdoor events can have up to 200 ppl from 19th, women still can’t have their partners with them in maternity hospitals yet nursing homes have no time limit on visiting ???

— Casso (@CassoJane) July 10, 2021