Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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279. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht further to the granting by UNESCO of intangible heritage status to the game of hurling, the measures that are underway to animate this status; if funding has been granted by her Department to any entity to reflect this status; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18259/22]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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Since Ireland’s ratification of the UNESCO 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) four elements of our living heritage have been inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of ICH; Uilleann Piping, Hurling, Irish Harping , and most recently Irish Falconry in 2020 joined the existing multinational inscription of Falconry.

Hurling was officially inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List in 2018 following the successful application process which was progressed in close cooperation between my Department and both the GAA and The Camogie Association. Since the inscriptions of Hurling, my officials have met with both organisations on a number of occasions to discuss how best the Department can support them in safeguarding and raising awareness Hurling as an ICH practice. These discussions are ongoing and as with all elements on the Representative List, my Department is conscious that practitioners are the custodians of their practice and therefore safeguarding and transmission of same are led by the practitioners themselves.

By achieving recognition of these practices on the UNESCO Representative List the practices are safeguarding for future generations. Inscriptions also serve to acknowledge and celebrate the work of the generations who have kept these traditions alive and provide a platform to highlight and share these cherished aspects of Irish culture with others.

Earlier this year, Ireland submitted its periodic report to UNESCO to outline the legislative, regulatory and other measures undertaken for the safeguarding of ICH. The preparation of Ireland’s report focused on the broad surveying of and engagement with relevant stakeholders including the GAA and The Camogie Association. The findings of the report will help inform and guide plans and priorities for ICH safeguarding over the coming years, while incorporating the Vision, Mission and Principles outlined for ICH in Ireland.

My Department also works closely with its Expert Advisory Committee to examine how it can most effectively work with ICH practitioners and existing agencies to raise awareness of and safeguard these practices for generations and looks forward to continuing to work with both the GAA and The Camogie Association in this regard.

In relation to funding it should be noted that Sport Ireland, which is funded by my Department, is the statutory body with responsibility for the development of sport, increasing participation at all levels and raising standards. This includes the allocation of funding across a variety of funding schemes to the GAA and The Camogie Association. In 2021, the GAA received in excess of €2.3m and The Camogie Association received in excess of €435,000 which assists with the wide promotion and engagement with Hurling. In addition, in December 2021, Government allocated Covid-19 funding under five separate streams to help sports organisations to recover and grow post-pandemic, support our grassroots networks of clubs and local sports partnerships, and ensure that people of all ages and abilities could return to sport and physical activity. This included €20m allocated to the GAA, primarily to offset losses from the lack of spectators at matches, with €6m being ring-fenced to support GAA, LGFA, Camogie & Handball Clubs.