Translate the text from English to Welsh.



 
 


Together with Carl Sargeant, Minister for Local Government and Communities, I attended the seventeenth Summit of the British\-Irish Council (BIC) in Dublin on Friday 13 January. The meeting was chaired by An Taoiseach, Enda Kelly, of the Irish Government and attended by lead Ministers from the other BIC Member Administrations including;


 


* Deputy Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Nick Clegg MP, of the UK Government,
* First Minister, the Rt. Hon. Peter Robinson MLA and deputy First Minister, Mr. Martin McGuinness MP MLA of the Northern Ireland Executive,
* First Minister, the Rt. Hon. Alex Salmond MSP of the Scottish Government,
* Chief Minister, Senator Ian Gorst of the Government of Jersey,
* Minister of the Home Department, Deputy Geoff Mahy of the Government of Guernsey,
* Chief Minister, Hon. Allan Bell MHK of the Government of the Isle of Man.


 


The BIC continues to play a unique and important role in furthering, promoting and developing links between its Member Administrations and in providing a forum for consultation and co\-operation. On this occasion, the Summit provided an opportunity for Member Administrations to discuss two substantive items; the economy with specific focus on youth unemployment; and recovery approaches to address misuse of drugs across the British Islands and Ireland.


On the economy, I set out how the Welsh economy is inextricably linked to the state of the UK and global economies.  The impact of the challenges faced within the Eurozone and the UK Government’s decisions on fiscal policy are hitting job creation in Wales and as a consequence we have seen our unemployment rate rise over the past year.  


The Welsh Government is doing all it can to minimise the adverse effects of these economic challenges and I drew attention to two major new funding packages for the Wales SME Investment Fund and the Wales Economic Growth Fund, totalling £55million, to stimulate the Welsh economy and support business growth across Wales.   

Increasing employment opportunities for young people remains a key priority for the Welsh Government and we are addressing this through the creation of our £75million programme, Jobs Growth Wales and increasing Apprenticeship opportunities for young people.  I also outlined our approach to preventing children and young people from disengaging from learning and supporting them with entry to the Labour market.


On the misuse of drugs, the Minister for Local Government and Communities outlined Welsh Government’s approach to supporting rehabilitation and tackling harm associated with substance misuse including funded training provided for recovery based programmes in Wales.  The Minister highlighted two specific actions taken to implement our strategy ‘Working Together to Reduce Harm’; the Take Home Naloxone Scheme and the European Funded Peer Mentoring Scheme.  He also emphasised the importance of fully integrating rehabilitation and recovery into mainstream services within the wider community.


As I earlier told the Assembly I would, I also raised the issue of formal links between the British\-Irish Parliamentary Assembly and the British\-Irish Council. The Council agreed to remit this matter to its newly\-established Standing Secretariat for further consideration, and discussion as necessary with the BIPA secretariat.


The key discussion points of the seventeenth Summit were published in a joint Communiqué, which is attached.  The next BIC Summit will be hosted by Scotland in summer of this year.


 







Translation:


 
Ynghyd â Carl Sargeant, y Gweinidog Llywodraeth Leol a Chymunedau, mynychais ail Uwchgynhadledd ar bymtheg y Cyngor Prydeinig\-Gwyddelig yn Nulyn ddydd Gwener 13 Ionawr. Cadeiriwyd y cyfarfod gan An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, o Lywodraeth Iwerddon, gyda’r Gweinidogion arweiniol o Aelod Weinyddiaethau eraill y Cyngor yn mynychu, gan gynnwys:

* Dirprwy Brif Weinidog Llywodraeth y DU, y Gwir Anrhydeddus Nick Clegg AS;
* Prif Weinidog Gweithrediaeth Gogledd Iwerddon, y Gwir Anrhydeddus Peter Robinson MLA a’r Dirprwy Brif Weinidog, Mr. Martin McGuinness AS MLA;
* Prif Weinidog Llywodraeth yr Alban, y Gwir Anrhydeddus Alex Salmond MSP;
* Prif Weinidog Llywodraeth Jersey, y Seneddwr Ian Gorst;
* Gweinidog Adran Gartref Llywodraeth Gurnsey, Dirprwy Geoff Mahy;
* Prif Weinidog Llywodraeth Ynys Manaw, yr Anrhydeddus Allan Bell MHK.

Mae’r Cyngor yn parhau i chwarae rôl unigryw a phwysig o ran hybu, hyrwyddo a meithrin cysylltiadau rhwng yr Aelod Weinyddiaethau a chynnig fforwm ar gyfer ymgynghori a chydweithredu. Y tro hwn, roedd yr Uwchgynhadledd yn gyfle i’r Aelod Weinyddiaethau drafod dwy eitem bwysig: yr economi gyda sylw penodol i ddiweithdra pobl ifanc, a dulliau adfer i fynd i’r afael â chamddefnyddio cyffuriau yn Ynysoedd Prydain ac Iwerddon.

O ran yr economi, soniais am y cyswllt annatod rhwng economi Cymru a chyflwr economïau y DU a’r byd. Mae’r heriau sy’n codi ym mharth yr Ewro, ynghyd â phenderfyniadau Llywodraeth y DU ynghylch polisïau cyllid, yn cael effaith ar y gwaith o greu swyddi yng Nghymru. O ganlyniad, mae ein cyfradd ddiweithdra wedi cynyddu dros y flwyddyn ddiwethaf.

Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn gwneud popeth o fewn ei gallu i leihau effeithiau andwyol yr heriau economaidd hyn, a thynnais sylw at ddau becyn ariannu mawr newydd ar gyfer Cronfa Buddsoddi mewn Busnesau Bach a Chanolig Cymru a Chronfa Twf Economaidd Cymru, sy’n werth cyfanswm o £55 miliwn, i ysgogi economi Cymru a chefnogi twf busnesau ledled Cymru.

Gwella cyfleoedd cyflogaeth i bobl ifanc yw un o brif flaenoriaethau Llywodraeth Cymru o hyd. Rydym yn mynd i’r afael â hyn drwy greu ein cronfa swyddi a hyfforddiant gwerth £75 miliwn, Twf Swyddi Cymru, a chynyddu’r cyfleoedd ar gyfer prentisiaethau i bobl ifanc. Fe soniais hefyd sut yr ydym yn mynd ati i geisio atal plant a phobl ifanc rhag colli diddordeb mewn dysgu, ac yn rhoi cymorth iddynt i ymuno â’r farchnad lafur.  

O ran camddefnyddio cyffuriau, amlinellodd y Gweinidog Llywodraeth Leol a Chymunedau sut y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn mynd ati i gefnogi gwaith adfer a gwaith i fynd i’r afael â’r niwed sy’n gysylltiedig â chamddefnyddio cyffuriau, a hynny’n cynnwys ariannu hyfforddiant ar gyfer rhaglenni sy’n seiliedig ar adfer yng Nghymru. Tynnodd y Gweinidog sylw at ddau gam gweithredu penodol a gymerwyd i roi ein strategaeth ‘Gweithio Gyda’n Gilydd i Leihau Niwed’ ar waith, sef y Cynllun Naloxone yn y Cartref a’r Cynllun Mentora Cymheiriaid sy’n derbyn nawdd Ewropeaidd.  Pwysleisiodd hefyd mor bwysig yw hi i sicrhau bod gwaith adfer a gwella yn cael ei gynnwys yn llawn mewn gwasanaethau prif ffrwd o fewn y gymuned ehangach.

Fel yr oeddwn wedi sôn wrth y Cynulliad, codais y mater o gysylltiadau ffurfiol rhwng y Cynulliad Seneddol Prydeinig\-Gwyddelig (BIPA) a’r Cyngor Prydeinig\-Gwyddelig. Cytunodd y Cyngor i gyfeirio’r mater hwn at ei Ysgrifenyddiaeth Sefydlog newydd, i’w ystyried ymhellach ac i’w drafod yn ôl y gofyn gydag ysgrifenyddiaeth BIPA.

Cyhoeddwyd prif bwyntiau trafod yr ail Uwchgynhadledd ar bymtheg mewn cyd\-hysbysiad, sydd ynghlwm. Yr Alban fydd yn cynnal Uwchgynhadledd nesaf y Cyngor, a hynny yn ystod yr haf eleni.