Shinty
The final item of business today is a members' business debate on motion S1M-808, in the name of Fergus Ewing, on shinty. The debate will be concluded, without any question being put, after 30 minutes.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament recognises the importance of shinty as Scotland's indigenous sport; notes that, whilst it is especially popular in the Highlands, it is played throughout Scotland; acknowledges that it makes a significant contribution to Scotland in terms of social inclusion, citizenship, healthy living, community development, volunteering and economic development; welcomes the comprehensive presentation made by the Camanachd Association to MSPs on 3 May 2000, and supports the Association's case for enhanced funding from sportscotland.
I would like to begin by thanking the business managers for this opportunity to put in the Scottish Parliament for the first time the case for shinty. I draw members' attention to the fact that the president and executive officer of the Camanachd Association, Donnie Grant and Alastair MacIntyre, are with us in the public gallery. They may be slightly embarrassed if I point out that Donnie was a member of the winning Kingussie team of 1961, while Alasdair was a member of the winning Kilmallie team of 1964. They are now involved in more sedentary pursuits.
Shinty's Gaelic name, camanachd, identifies it as perhaps the oldest organised team game in Europe that is still played by virtually its original rules. In 563, St Columba left Ireland for Scotland in the wake of a quarrel that is supposed to have broken out during a game of camanachd. Shinty was brought to Scotland in that year, if not before. It was first introduced to north-west Scotland along with Gaelic and Christianity, as Alasdair Morrison will know.
The heartland of the sport remains in the Highlands. However, it is played throughout Scotland, especially in universities. It is played in the central belt, where teams include Glasgow Mid Argyll, Tayforth and Edinburgh East Lothian, formerly Musselburgh. I believe that at least one parliamentary researcher plays regularly for the last-named team, when chosen. There is even a team in England, based in Staffordshire, known as The Highlanders. I thought that members might be interested in those facts.
Shinty is a vigorous game. It has been described as a form of legalised mayhem. There are fewer rules in shinty than in hockey, but more rules than in politics. There is now an international fixture—first played in 1924, resumed in the 1970s and now staged annually—between Scotland and Ireland. It involves a hybrid of shinty and hurling. This year there was some controversy because finances were so straitened and cash was so limited that, at the end of the game, which unfortunately Scotland lost, the Scottish players were not permitted to swap jerseys with players from the Irish team—despite the fact that the game was watched by an audience of some 70,000 people.
Today I want to make the serious point that shinty has been underfunded for a long period. I argue—and I hope that this will be supported by all parties—that there are very strong reasons for providing shinty with a fairer financial deal. On Tuesday this week I had the pleasure of meeting Mr Robson and colleagues at sportscotland, with whom I discussed the financial support that shinty now receives. Since 1994, it has received a core support grant of only £15,000. That is a very small amount by any standards. Shinty receives some other support, but that is hypothecated to funding youth development officers and to other specific purposes.
Four years ago, the Camanachd Association—the governing body of the sport—was asked to submit a development strategy, which it did. As members can imagine, that took a great deal of time and effort. All sports governing bodies find reaching an agreement that is supported by all clubs and participants a slow and time-consuming process. It did, however, submit a detailed plan two years ago. The response from sportscotland's predecessor, the Scottish Sports Council, was that it did not have sufficient funds. The Scottish Sports Council said, "Go away and argue with the politicians that we should have more money. If we can get more, we will be able to give the Camanachd Association more."
Shinty has made great efforts to obtain commercial sponsorship. It has had long-standing and loyal support from Glenmorangie, with which I expect some members—probably all—will be familiar
Myself.
I am not sure whether Mr Stone was trying to stand up or asking me to give way. I certainly would not disagree with Jamie Stone, if his intervention was a sedentary one. As well as Glenmorangie, Marine Harvest is a loyal commercial sponsor.
Commercial sponsorship will be slightly reduced this year. That strengthens the case for a fairer deal from the state. Commercial sponsors are more interested in major headline sports such as football. That is where most of the commercial sponsorship money tends to go.
The sport minister announced at the beginning of November that sportscotland's budget would increase by no less than £6 million over the next three years. That is an increase of around 20 per cent. If its budget is being increased by 20 per cent—around £2 million a year—the request that the Camanachd Association has made in its development plan, of core funding of around £50,000 for each of the next four years, is relatively modest.
The Camanachd Association argues that for it to achieve its goals of youth development, coaching, club development, recruitment and training of volunteers, it needs the flexibility of having the funding that is sought in its plan. It specifies those goals in detail.
I do not want to look back in anger; I want to look forward in hope. I understand that the minister has taken a keen interest in this topic. I hope that he will pledge his personal support for shinty and that he will come to the Camanachd cup final this year. Core funding that has been pegged at £15,000 for the past six or seven years is not ideal, satisfactory or fair. I urge that all parties and all members who participate in this debate join me in urging the minister to use his persuasive abilities with Mr Robson to attract a fair deal for the sport of shinty from Mr Robson and his colleagues.
Tha mi a-nis ag eubhach air Iain Fearchar Rothach, a tha a' dol a bhruidhinn 'sa Ghàidhlig. Tha goireasan èisdeachd air chothrom dha na buill.
I now call John Farquhar Munro, who will speak in Gaelic. Earphones are provided for those who require translation.
Mgr Iain Rothach (Ros, an t-Eilean Sgitheanach agus Taobh an Iar Inbhir Nis) (LD):
Tha mi toilichte gu bheil deasbad againn mu dheidhinn camanachd anns a' Phàrlamaid againn ann a sheo, agus tha mi toilichte gum beil cothrom againn a bhith deasbad mu dheidhinn.
Tha grunn rudan a bu chòir dha sportscotland agus an Riaghaltas a dhèanamh anns a' bhad. Anns a' chiad àite, bu chòir dhaibh an £15,000 a tha iad a' toirt do Chomunn na Camanachd mar core grant, àrdachadh gu suim a tha reusanta agus ciallach. Bu chòir dhaibh gabhail cho luath's a ghabhas, ris an iarrtas a tha mun coinneamh anns a' phlana ùr a fhuair iad an t-seachdain seo fhèin bho Chomunn na Camanachd. Cha tug iad sgillinn do Chomunn na Camanachd mu choinneamh a' phlana a chaidh a dhealbh roimhe seo—plana a chaidh a tharraing ri chèile a chionn is gu robh sportscotland ga iarraidh. Chan fhaod an aon rud tachairt a-rithist.
Chan eil an-dràsda aig Comunn na Camanachd ach dà choidse a tha a' frithealadh na dùthcha uile gu lèir. Dà choidse. Cia mheud a th' aig rugbaidh? Tòrr; agus iad uile a' draibheadh air feadh na dùthcha ann an four-by-fours mòra spaideil. Tha an dithis a tha ag obair dhan chamanachd a' cur seachad fada cus ùine ann an càraichean a' frithealadh na dùthcha gu lèir. Tha feum aca air taic agus cobhair agus bu chòir dha sportscotland gluasad sa bhad agus taic airgid a chur ris an sgeama. Tha co-dhiù trì coidsichean mu thuath agus trì eile mu dheas. An-dràsda chan eil sportscotland ach a' cur £16,000 ri tuarasdail an dà choidse a tha sin. Sia mìle deug not uile gu lèir agus tha na h-ùghdarrasan ionadail agus LECs a' cur a' chòrr ris. Agus nam biodh barrachd choidsichean ann, cha bhiodh sgoil bheag anns an sgìre agam fhèin, mar eisimpleir as aonais camanachd, dìreach a chionn is gu bheil am poileasman a bha gan teagasg a' fàgail gu sgìre eile. Nuair dh'fhalbhas am poileasman, cha bhi camanachd aig a' chloinn idir. Feumaidh sinn barrachd choidsichean a chuidicheas na sgiobaidhean agus na sgoiltean.
Nuair a thig e gu bhith a' dèiligeadh ri goireasan, bu chòir dha sportscotland dèanamh cinnteach gu bheil na goireasan sin gu feum dha na coimhearsnachdan gu lèir. Tha mi a' cur fàilte air an naidheachd an t-seachdain seo gu bheil faisg air £5 millean ga chosg air goireasan ann an coimhearsnachdan. Dè an dearbhadh a th' aig sportscotland ge-tà gun gabh na goireasan sin cleachdadh airson camanachd. Dè an dearbhadh a tha iad ag iarraidh nuair a tha iad a' dèiligeadh ri plana gu bheil pàircean mòra gu leòr airson camanachd? Agus mur eil, dè feum a th' ann a bhith a' cosg an airgid orra ann an sgìrean camanachd mur eil na pàircean sin mòr gu leòr? Agus a thaobh nan acadamies airson ball coise, carson nach bi iad nan acadamies spòrs airson coimhearsnachdan gu lèir, seach dìreach sgiobaidhean ball-coise.
Tha feum cuideachd air barrachd raointean far am faigh daoine cluich fad na bliadhna—all-weather pitches mar a chanas sinn. Bheireadh sin an cothrom do chloinn a bhith a' cluich fad a' gheamhraidh agus iad an-dràsda air an glasadh le droch phàircean is cion ghoireasan.
Tha sinn a' cluinntinn mòran bho sportscotland mun fheum a th' ann a bhith toirt air clann na dùthcha a bhith a' gabhail spòrs. Uill, ciamar a thèid aca air a bhith a' gabhail pàirt ann an camanachd mur eil na tidsearan air an trèanadh anns a' gheama? Bu chòir do sportscotland agus an Riaghaltas a dhèanamh cinnteach gu bheil camanachd—.
Following is the simultaneous interpretation:
I am grateful that we have the opportunity to debate this matter.
Sportscotland and the Executive should take several measures as an immediate priority. They should increase the £15,000 that they give as a core grant to the shinty society, Comunn na Camanachd, to a sum that is reasonable and sensible. They should accept as soon as possible the request that is before them in the new plan that they received this week from Comunn na Camanachd. They did not give a penny to Comunn na Camanachd in respect of the plan that it prepared previously. That plan was compiled because sportscotland wanted it. That must not be allowed to happen again.
Comunn na Camanachd has only two coaches, who look after the whole country. How many rugby coaches are there? Quite a lot—and they all drive about the country in their big posh four-by-fours. The two shinty coaches spend far too much time in cars serving the whole country; they need support and sportscotland should act immediately to give financial assistance to a scheme that would allow three coaches to serve the northern part of the country and another three to serve the south. At the moment, sportscotland contributes only £16,000 towards the salaries of the two coaches, and local authorities and local enterprise companies make up the rest.
For example, if there were more coaches, a small school in my area would not have to miss out on shinty. The local policeman who currently coaches the pupils is being moved to another area; when that happens, there will be no more shinty for the children. There must be more coaches to help the teams and the schools.
Sportscotland must also ensure that any facilities assist the entire community. I welcome this week's news that nearly £5 million will be spent on community facilities. However, what evidence does sportscotland have that such facilities will benefit shinty?
Furthermore, what evidence does it require when dealing with a development plan for enough big parks to accommodate shinty? If there are no facilities, what is the good of spending money on them in shinty-playing areas if the parks are not going to be big enough?
Furthermore, why can there not be sports academies for the entire community instead of simply for football teams? We also need more all-weather pitches to enable people to play the whole year round. That would give children the opportunity to play through the winter, whereas they are currently restricted by poor playing areas and a lack of facilities.
We hear a lot from sportscotland about the need to ensure that children in this country are encouraged to play sport. How can they participate in shinty if their teachers are not trained to teach them how to play it?
Iar Mhinistear airson Iomairt, Foghlam Leantainneach agus Gàidhlig (Mgr Alasdair Moireasdan):
Tha mi uamhasach taingeil gun tug am ball cothrom dhomh tighinn a-staigh. Tha e a' bruidhinn mu dheidhinn a bhith a' leudachadh na cothroman airson an spòrs a chleachdadh. An aontaicheadh Maighstir Rothach rium gu bheil gu dearbha sin mu thràth a' tachairt air feadh na Gàidhealtachd gu h-àraidh leis an adhartas a thathar a' dèanamh leis na fèisean, agus barrachd chloinne a-nis a' dol an sàs anns na fèisean?
Following is the simultaneous interpretation:
I am most grateful to the member for giving me the opportunity to intervene. He is talking about developing opportunities to use the sport. Does Mr Munro agree that that is already happening throughout the Highlands, particularly in relation to progress with the fèisean movement, with more and more children now involved in fèisean?
Tha. Tha mi ag aontachadh leis an rud a tha Alasdair Moireasdan a' cantainn. Mar as trice, ma tha fèis a' dol air adhart, bitheas a' cho-fharpais eadar sgioban camanachd, agus tha fios agam bho chionn beagan bhliadhnaichean air ais, gun deach feadhainn dhe na luchd-teagaisg a- mach chun na h-eileanan agus thòisich camanachd ann an sin a-rithist, agus tha mi a' tuigsinn gu bheil e beò, slàn anns na h-àitean sin agus tha mi toilichte sin a chluinntinn.
Bu chòir dha camanachd a bhith na phàirt dhen churriculum aig an luchd-teagaisg fhèin, agus mar phàirt de chlasaichean PE. Ach mura tèid na tidsearan a thrèanadh chan urrainn dhaibh an geam a theagasg. A thaobh nan sports co-ordinators cuideachd, dè mar tha sinn a' cumail sùil air sin? Co tha a' dearbhadh gu bheil iad a' teagasg camanachd far a bheil feum air?
Agus mu dheireadh, bu chòir dha sportscotland gabhail ris gur e geama eadar-nàiseanta a tha Alba agus Eirinn a' cluich aig camanachd. Mur a gabh, chan eil sin ach a' dearbhadh cho aineolach ‘s a tha daoine air eachdraidh na dùthcha seo agus na ceanglan cudromach a tha sinn a' leasachadh le Eirinn. Cha bu chòir dhuinn a-rithist leigeil le sgioba a' riochdachadh Alba a dhol a-null thairis le cho beag goireasan 's a chaidh fhàgail aig sgioba chamanachd na h-Alba air a bhliadhna seo.
Tha am ministear againn airson spòrs, Ailean Wilson; tha àrd oifigear ùr airson sportscotland, Ian Robson. Tha mise an dòchas gun tèid aca le chèile air cothrom na Fèinne a thoirt dhan chamanachd agus do Chomunn na Camanachd, dha na boireannaich a tha an-diugh a' cluich a' gheama agus gu h-àraidh dhan chloinn. Tha mòran aig camanachd ri thairgse do sgìrean dùthchail agus do bailtean mòra na dùthcha agus tha mòran daoine an sàs anns a' gheama a tha a' cur gu mòr ri cultar, slàinte agus foghlam na dùthcha tron gheama. Ach tha na sgiobaidhean an còmhnaidh a' strì ri cion airgid, dìth ghoireasan agus cosgaisean siubhail.
Chan eil Comunn na Camanachd ag iarraidh anns a' phlana ùr aca ach timcheall air £50,000 anns gach bliadhna son grunn bhliadhnaichean. Tha an Riaghaltas agus an crannchur nàiseanta an-dràsda a' dòrtadh còrr is £100 millean a-steach do spòrs anns an dùthaich seo. Tha fhios gun tèid againn air an airgead sin a lorg airson geama a tha cho cudromach na phàirt de chultar na h-Alba a chumail beò agus a leasachadh.
Tha mise deònach mo làn thaic a thoirt dha na molaidhean a tha mar coinneamh an-diugh. Mòran taing.
Following is the simultaneous interpretation:
I agree with the minister. Quite often there are shinty competitions at fèisean. Several years ago, some tutors went out to the islands and encouraged the playing of shinty. I am glad to hear about those developments.
Shinty should be part of the curriculum and physical education classes, but if teachers are not trained, they cannot teach the game. Furthermore, how are we monitoring the situation with sports co-ordinators? Who checks that they are teaching shinty where there is a need for such teaching?
Finally, sportscotland should accept that the game that Scotland and Ireland play is international. If it does not do so, that will only prove how ignorant people are about this country's history and the important developmental links that we are establishing with Ireland. We should not allow a side that is representing our country to go overseas with so few facilities as were available this year to our shinty side. I hope that the new minister, Allan Wilson, and the new chief executive of sportscotland, Ian Robson, will give every opportunity to shinty and Commun na Camanachd; to the ladies who now play this game; and especially to children. Shinty has much to offer Scotland's rural areas and major cities and many who are involved in the game contribute to culture, health and education through it, but the teams always struggle through lack of funding, lack of facilities and travel costs.
Comunn na Camanachd has asked for only about £50,000 per annum for a few years. The Government and the lottery currently plough £100 million into sport. Out of that £100 million, we can surely find that money to keep alive and develop a game that is such an important part of our Scottish culture. I fully support the motion.
I welcome this debate and I am happy to lend my support to Fergus Ewing. I appreciate the sentiments that are expressed in his motion, although I notice a slight difference in emphasis from the briefing that was so well prepared by the Camanachd Association regarding the difficulties that it is experiencing. The association talks about shinty being the only indigenous team sport that is confined to Scotland, whereas Fergus Ewing's motion calls shinty "Scotland's indigenous sport". I am sure that he does not intend to be guilty of Gaelic cultural imperialism, but knows that sports such as golf, cricket and curling can equally lay claim to being Scottish indigenous sports.
Sportscotland has a difficult job. I am going to play good cop/bad cop with Jamie McGrigor—as members might guess, Jamie will be the good cop—and I shall put the issue in context. Fergus Ewing has put forward a good argument, but it is important to understand the context, which would emphasis his case. From the information that is available to me—as I was born and bred in Porty, it is not a sport that I enjoy playing, although that chance may yet come—I gather that there are some 40 shinty clubs. That should be compared with the fact that there are some 34 women's rugby teams and 99 cricket clubs in Scotland. I do not say that to demean shinty in any way; I am simply trying to put the issue into the context of the differences in the scales of sports that sportscotland has to deal with when making decisions about giving support.
Fergus Ewing makes his points well. It is wrong that a sport such as shinty, which is indigenous to Scotland, is played by many people and—in many ways differently from other sports—is part of the social fabric of many rural communities, thereby taking on a greater importance than other sports that are played by more people, should have enjoyed static funding of £15,000 since 1994. If the argument is that the sport should bid for overall funding to be increased before more can be allocated, sportscotland has not been doing its job. It is sportscotland's responsibility to determine the priorities for the money that it receives, not to allow funding to become static.
I wish the Camanachd Association well and I wish Fergus Ewing well in pursuing this issue. It is important that their claims are heard. I hope that the funding for shinty can be increased from £15,000 and that someday not only shall I be able to play, but that I shall be able to go with Allan Wilson to the Camanachd cup final.
I thank Fergus Ewing for securing this debate and I fully support what he has said. I also appreciated John Farquhar Munro's speech, which was wide ranging.
I declare an interest in the issue as a supporter of Oban Camanachd—I always have been and always will be. I was brought up practically in Mossfield Park, as my father was a great shinty fan. I remember being taken there in my pushchair as a small child.
When?
Ah, that would be telling.
Oban Camanachd always had the best dancers in the town and all the girls wanted to go out with the boys who played for Camanachd. I am not going to say whether I did.
Oh, so coy.
Shinty was and is important in Oban. It is important in other areas of Scotland, such as Badenoch and Strathspey, the Kyles of Bute and Skye. In other areas, the game has died back because of a lack of funding and coaching of young people. What John Munro said about the desperate need for funding for coaching is true.
My brother played shinty for Glasgow Kelvin. The last time I visited the Camanachd Association, the people there gave me a book on the history of shinty. I was terribly pleased to see his photograph in that book. I passed it on to him and he was delighted to see himself again as a young man.
In the summer, I was at the Marine Harvest finals at An Aird, at which the people who would represent Scotland were being chosen. That was the first time that I had seen women's shinty—I would rather call it women's shinty than ladies' shinty because the two teams that were playing were tough. I was glad to see how well the Argyll women did.
Women's football and women's rugby have been mentioned and I think that there is a great future for women's shinty. It is a skilful game. The women's stick work was skilful and, boy, could they run. [Interruption.] I ask Jamie Stone to stop laughing. I will see him later.
The sport desperately needs funding. The Camanachd Association work their hearts out for the game and need the support. Shinty is as much a part of Highland culture as Gaelic and music. I support the motion.
I congratulate Fergus Ewing on securing this debate on shinty. I welcome the balanced approach that he took to the debate.
I thank the minister for meeting me, Donnie Grant and Duncan Cameron on Tuesday to discuss the issue of funding. I thank him for giving up some of his valuable time to listen and learn. I hope that some action will come out of that meeting.
It is disingenuous not to recognise the substantial amount of investment that has taken place. Bute Shinty Club and Kyles Athletic are good examples, although I should declare an interest as most of my relations play for Bute and two of my cousins play for Kyles—indeed, one of them plays for Scotland. In the past four or five years, Bute has got a new pitch and a new dressing room and Kyles Athletic's pitch has been improved. There has been investment but, on Tuesday, the Camanachd Association made the case to the minister for core funding. The game has grown and investment has been made in pitches and new players, but we need core funding if the game is to develop further. There are 3,800 players of shinty. It is vital that we have a support system that can ensure that the game flourishes and grows in areas in which it has died away.
I am delighted to support Fergus Ewing's motion. I support the idea of there being a vital cultural exchange aspect to shinty, as other members said. If Scotland wants to be an outward-looking country, that kind of exchange should be promoted. I should declare an interest—with a girlfriend from deepest Cork, I am used to competition between Scotland and Ireland and the shinty-hurling match is only marginally more physical.
Funding remains crucial. Fergus Ewing, not content with making his own speech, has added something to mine. He has asked me to make the point that the case for securing core funding is bolstered by the fact that around 15 per cent of the 3,800 shinty players are women and that the involvement of both sexes is one of the criteria that sportscotland considers when allocating funding.
I want to talk about how shinty competes with other sports. It does not exist in a vacuum. The challenge is that the same young people who might get involved in shinty might also get involved in football, rugby, cricket or the other sexy, glossy sports that get promotion from television companies and that are heavily advertised. Core funding is important so that we can do something about the image of shinty to enable it to be accessible not just to my generation, but to an even younger generation, if that is possible. Image in this modern, instant world is vital.
I support the remarks of John Farquhar Munro—indeed, those of the interpreter—who said that getting shinty into the school curriculum is vital for the throughput of players in the future. That was an important point. Along with action on the points made by Fergus Ewing on core funding, such a measure would take us to a new level.
I am a native of Argyll and I am delighted to contribute to this debate on shinty, which is certainly the most important game to the people who live there and in other parts of the Highlands and Islands, particularly in and around Fort William, Newtonmore and Kingussie. My local team is Glen Orchy and there is another team nearby, in Inveraray. Many years ago, Inveraray was considered to be the best team in Scotland. The tradition of shinty is strong in that part of Scotland and is part of the social network. Many followers of the game turn up to support the local teams.
Shinty can be played in all weathers, which is essential in an area of Scotland where the rainfall is more than 100in. The game epitomises hard fighting spirit and sportsmanship. Sportscotland should review the criteria by which it judges sports and should give shinty more recognition. I believe that it should consider a significant increase on the rather paltry £15,000 of funding that the sport receives at present.
Shinty has endured for a long time without much Government help. I feel that the Scottish Parliament must show its support for this uniquely Scottish game. If it does, it will convey to people in the Highlands and Islands the fact that they are receiving attention; any other action would have the reverse effect. I take my hat off to the current sponsors, including Glenmorangie and Marine Harvest. Their help is invaluable.
Sportscotland's budget is increasing by £6 million. I agree with Fergus Ewing, who said that £50,000 a year for shinty is a modest request. Shinty does a great deal for young people—at a time when we are all trying to find ways to give our youngsters hope—and provides an escape from the drug culture.
Why does sportscotland recognise hockey as a key sport, but not shinty, which is a similar but better game, simply because it is insular? At least the big-name players and teams in shinty tend to be Scottish, which is more than can be said for some of Scotland's top football teams, whose top players are more likely to be from Croatia than from Scotland.
I agree with John Farquhar Munro that the teams struggle because of a lack of funding. The price of fuel in the Highlands has made things much worse—I am surprised that Fergus Ewing did not mention that.
I thank the Camanachd Association for its excellent briefing and ask the Scottish Executive to give shinty, this wonderful Scottish game, much more recognition and more funding. That would be greatly welcomed in the Highlands and Islands.
The principal justification for increased funding for shinty is to acknowledge the part that it plays in communities, particularly in rural areas, where it exemplifies the partnership that can exist between sports clubs and the communities that they help to build and preserve.
Beauly shinty club is a good example of that. It suffered the closure of the local secondary school, from which many of its future players would undoubtedly have come. However, the club has survived, thanks to the efforts of the local community, and is thriving once again. That surely fits with the priorities of sportscotland and the Executive—social inclusion and community regeneration—not least because many small businesses rely on their local shinty teams, particularly on match days, when the visiting teams and their supporters come to town.
The Camanachd Association has put a great deal of work into development of the sport. I particularly commend its youth work. It is estimated that 1,500 schoolchildren now participate in first shinty. It would be an extremely regressive step if the association were unable to continue to employ its two full-time first shinty development workers. People are required to keep young people involved in the sport in the face of competition from more mainstream sports, such as football and rugby.
The Camanachd Association believes that it needs about £50,000 to implement its development programme, while continuing with the everyday running of the leagues and cups. It does not want to receive that money at the expense of other sports, but the dilemma is that there is only so much to go round. The Camanachd Association feels that it has a better case than most, because of shinty's particular role in Scottish culture and identity. That on its own should be justification enough for obtaining funding to ensure not just the survival of shinty, but its development.
I hope that members will not need a simultaneous interpretation of my speech, but who knows?
I congratulate Fergus Ewing on securing this debate. I am sure that we can settle our differences amicably and civilly, without resorting to the legalised mayhem to which he referred. He will recall that, when I replied to the debate on sport in November, I assured him that I would endeavour to meet the organisations that are involved in shinty. Earlier this week, George Lyon and I met the Camanachd Association and I have met sportscotland, whose chief executive has also met the Camanachd Association since the sport debate.
I do not want to become embroiled in the question of Gaelic cultural imperialism, but I recognise that shinty is an indigenous sport and that, as such, it has additional value as part of our heritage. However, what, in many ways, can be seen as its strength is also its weakness. The fact that it is valued as part of our heritage does not always lead to the best image for this fast and exciting game.
Shinty does not have the mass appeal enjoyed by other sports I could mention. However, I will readily listen to the needs and aspirations of those who are involved in it, as I did earlier this week. I am fully aware of the importance of shinty and am grateful for regular updates from my colleagues from the Highlands. In fact, only last week the minister with responsibility for the Highlands, Alasdair Morrison, was telling me about the revival of shinty in his native North Uist, where it is played regularly by up to 60 children. That revival, after 70 years, is down to the fèis movement, to which he and John Munro referred.
I also thank the Scotland Office, which last night facilitated a discussion with Government colleagues from the Republic of Ireland. Brian Wilson—Minister of State, Scotland Office—Alasdair Morrison and I discussed many aspects of the sporting links that exist with Ireland, and, in particular, matters relating to the shinty-hurling match, to which Fergus Ewing referred.
As Brian Monteith said, this debate, like many others in the gallery of the art of the possible, is about the scarcity and distribution of resources. I sympathise with those who are involved in shinty who feel that their sport is underfunded. Shinty is not alone in that respect, nor is it the only sport whose core funding from sportscotland has remained the same over the past five years—the same applies to the core funding of all sports funded by sportscotland.
As has been recognised in the debate, considerably more than the £15,000 that has been mentioned goes into the sport. As George Lyon ably demonstrated, with reference to his constituency, the Camanachd Association has received a total of £500,000 for youth sport since 1991 and more than £500,000 from the lottery capital programme since 1995.
We recognise that the lottery funds have made a substantial contribution, but does the minister agree that most of that money has gone into improving grounds and stands? Those grounds and stands are used by many sports other than shinty and, in many parts of the Highlands, they are a community resource. They also play a significant role in tourism through events such as Highland games. Lottery funds should be regarded as a contribution not to shinty alone, but to the culture and economy of the Highlands.
We will not disagree on that. However, Fergus Ewing will acknowledge the valuable contribution that lottery funds make to shinty, which must be taken into account in any calculation of the financial contribution that is made to the sport. Fergus Ewing acknowledged that we recently announced a major increase in Exchequer funding for sportscotland. Sportscotland has been asked to deploy additional resources in the key area of developing sport and physical education in primary schools. All sports, including shinty, benefit from sportscotland's generic development work, which includes the TOPs programmes in primary schools and the school sport co-ordinator programme. I make no commitment about extra money being made available specifically for shinty or any other sport.
Before the minister moves on to his next point, I want to press him on commercial sponsorship. There have been several references to Glenmorangie, which is my home town whisky. Would not it be constructive for the Executive to encourage commercial sponsorship? I fully appreciate Fergus Ewing's argument—I take nothing away from what he said—but, if there were a co-ordinated approach, it might help the minister's budget. Before the minister replies, I must tell him that when one goes to the Camanachd cup, it is a taxi job.
I am anxious to ensure a greater commercial input into shinty and sport generally. We are involved in discussions with sportscotland to develop a commercial strategy.
The annual hybrid shinty-hurling match between Scotland and the Republic of Ireland does not qualify for funding under either the major events or the talented athletes programmes, because shinty has no international federation under the auspices of which international competition could take place. Quite simply, shinty is not played in other countries. I say to Fergus Ewing that we are not literally taking the shirts off the backs of our shinty players. Apart from football and rugby, most sports, including table tennis, volleyball, hockey and basketball, require players to return their shirts.
However, I accept that the sport is frustrated at the fact that it does not qualify for the major events or the talented athletes funding programmes, because it lacks an international status and framework. At the same time, the hybrid match does not qualify for sportsmatch funding, because the match against the Republic of Ireland is not an international match. My officials have written to sportscotland for clarification on that, but I make no commitment.
What a surprise.
I advise Margaret Ewing that 19 of the 23 applications that shinty has made to the sportsmatch programme have been successful, securing £43,200 for the sport.
That money goes to clubs, not to the international event.
I understand and accept that point—that is why I am seeking clarification.
I recognise that shinty does well in other respects. In particular, it receives good publicity from the BBC and from independent radio. As I know from my meetings with other sports associations, many sports that have more participants and regular international competitions would welcome shinty's profile.
I am happy that, at the most recent meeting between sportscotland and the Camanachd Association, sportscotland agreed to consider the association's new development plan. Sportscotland received the plan only recently and, until it has had time to consider and discuss it with the association, is unable to give any assurances on resourcing its implementation. However, I am confident that the association will receive a response when the two organisations next meet in January.
We have had a useful debate and I am pleased to be making progress on the matter by giving the Camanachd Association the opportunity to work with sportscotland. That will ensure that the progress achieved in the sport, to which the association referred during our meeting earlier this week, is maintained.
Meeting closed at 17:47.