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Sustainable Development Goals

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 May 2021

Tuesday, 18 May 2021

Ceisteanna (340, 341)

Holly Cairns

Ceist:

340. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the progress made to include reference in all new statements of strategy to all sustainable development goal targets for which her Department has lead responsibility as outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals National Implementation Plan 2018-2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25758/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Holly Cairns

Ceist:

341. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the specific sustainable development goal targets her Department is responsible for implementing; the progress made in implementing those targets since 26 April 2018; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25776/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 340 and 341 together.

As the Deputy will be aware the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is a significant and ambitious policy agenda with implications for all Government Departments.

Overall political oversight for national SDG implementation is provided through the Cabinet, with Ministers having specific responsibility for implementing individual SDG targets related to their Ministerial functions. The Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) has responsibility for promoting the SDGs, and for overseeing their coherent implementation across Government.

The first National Implementation Plan (2018-2020), published in 2018, set out Ireland’s strategy to achieve the SDGs both domestically and internationally. An important element of this Plan is the SDG Policy Map and Matrix, which identified the lead and stakeholder departments for each of the Goals and targets and also mapped national sectoral policies against the 17 SDGs and 169 related targets, in order to identify which policies were most relevant to which SDGs and their associated targets.

The SDG Policy Map and Matrix enhances the ability of stakeholders to track Ireland’s implementation of specific SDGs and associated targets, and to assess Ireland’s response to the SDGs for potential policy gaps. It also supports and enhances cross-Government engagement in implementing each of the Goals and Targets. This policy map has recently been updated and is available online at https://www.gov.ie/en/policy-information/ff4201-17-sustainable-development-goals/#sdg-policy-map

The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media has responsibility for leading implementation of the following specific targets under SDGs 8, 11 and 12.

Target 8.9 - By 2030, devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products.

The Government’s Tourism Policy Statement, People, Place, and Policy: Growing Tourism to 2025, affirms that it will place tourism as a key element of its economic strategy, with development in the tourism sector reflecting the highest standards of environment and economic sustainability.

It is anticipated that a new tourism policy will be developed, with an overall emphasis on sustainability, as we look to rebuild the tourism sector in a post-pandemic world. This policy commitment will seek to deliver on Ireland’s ambition to be among the world-leaders in sustainable tourism practices from not only an environmental but also a social and economic perspective.

Work on this new national tourism policy will commence when the tourism sector has stabilised following the pandemic. This policy will build upon the work undertaken by the Sustainable Tourism Working Group set up under the outgoing policy which has developed Guiding Principles for Sustainable Tourism Development in Ireland.

Target 11.4 Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage

Together with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage which has primary responsibility for the protection and safeguarding of Ireland’s natural heritage, my Department has responsibility for safeguarding Ireland’s rich cultural heritage including our arts and culture, our sports and Gaeltacht communities. In that regard, in 2015 Ireland ratified the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. Since 2018, our unique practices of Hurling and Irish Harping have been recognised by UNESCO and added to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. My Department has also developed a National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage where 30 practices have been inscribed. More information on the Inventory and practices can be found here https://nationalinventoryich.chg.gov.ie/. It is expected that further practices will be inscribed to the Inventory this year.

Target 12b - Develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development impacts for sustainable tourism which creates jobs, promotes local culture and products.

The Government's Tourism Policy Statement has been successfully implemented by way of two Tourism Action Plans, initially from 2016-2018 and latterly from 2019-2021. The implementation of the most recent Action Plan was interrupted by the need to respond to the devastating impact the COVID-19 crisis has wrought on the Irish tourism sector.

However, this Action Plan contained an action providing for the establishment of a working group to review international best practice in sustainable tourism and to propose guiding principles for sustainable tourism development in Ireland. A Sustainable Tourism Working Group including senior representatives of Fáilte Ireland, Tourism Ireland and the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation was established under the aegis of the Tourism Leadership Group and chaired by the Department. The group completed its work on this action in late 2019 and its report was subsequently published and is available at https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/fff4eb-sustainable-working-group-report/. The report set out the ambition that “Ireland will seek to be amongst the world-leaders in sustainable tourism practices” and it also set out accompanying Guiding Principles for Sustainable Tourism Development in Ireland.

The Sustainable Tourism Working Group reconvened this year to complete the development of a suite of actions that promote sustainable tourism practices which can be implemented prior to a new policy being developed.

My Department's Statement of Strategy  2021-2023, which is now being finalised for submission to Government and subsequent publication, will reference my Department's responsibilities in relation to  the above mentioned sustainable development goal targets.

Question No. 341 answered with Question No. 340.
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