Sir, – I have been involved in coaching children in sport for over 20 years. During that time I’ve become aware how essential sport and physical education is to children’s physical and social development. It also provides them and society with a solid base from which to proceed to live an active and healthy life. The ongoing decision to prevent children from engaging in outdoor sports, whatever about indoor pursuits, will have a long-term detrimental impact on public health in this country. I am aware from my contact with parents that it is also damaging the mental health of children at a key stage in their development.
We must ask ourselves what level of harm are we prepared to inflict on children in order to reduce Covid cases, hospitalisations and deaths. At present, the answer is that we are prepared to inflict serious harm on the education, physical health and mental health of children in order to do so. At some stage we will have to face the serious long-term consequences of that decision. – Yours, etc,
NIGEL OSBORNE,
Monkstown, Co Dublin.