§ Mr. McDonnellTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what action his Department is taking to promote Irish(a) culture, (b) arts and (c) sports in Britain. [107587]
§ Mr. Chris SmithIt is my Department's job to promote all cultural and sporting activities in the UK. Irish culture is just one of the many diverse cultures that are promoted by, for example, the Arts Council of England and the Regional Arts Boards. My Department is also in close touch with its counterpart in Dublin on a number of issues. Gaelic games such as football, hurling and camogie are all recognised by Sport England and are eligible for lottery funding. Recently St. Albans' Irish Association received a grant of £51,617 towards improving their facilities to benefit Gaelic football.