English: Thank you, Llywydd. I'm very pleased to open this debate on the first report of the Children, Young People and Education Committee's inquiry into youth work in Wales. I'd like to place on record my thanks to the 1,500 young people from across Wales who gave their views to the committee. Their evidence was very clear that youth services are very important to many young people and can make a significant difference to their lives. I was also delighted to see the positive response that this inquiry received from stakeholders across Wales. We were very grateful for their honesty in helping us, as a committee, understand what the challenges are, and for their enthusiasm in engaging with the committee's work. I'd particularly like to thank the Council for Wales of Voluntary Youth Services for their support in bringing so many of those people together at our excellent round table event with stakeholders. The commitment and enthusiasm of those who attended made a real impression on me, and I'm sure that the same is true of other committee members. Youth work is genuinely life-changing, not just for the children and young people but for the countless staff and volunteers who make it happen every day across Wales. Members will be familiar with services in their own constituencies and know how they can shape young citizens of Wales and set them up with skills for life. Through the course of our inquiry, we had evidence of young people who have benefited from youth services, and also those who have had them removed. One young person who had previously accessed services said: 'Without youth workers I wouldn't be the person I am today it is a young person's right to a safe space and somewhere to have fun, play and participate.' Another told us that 'I feel like they' - youth services - 'are really good for people with fewer friends as it gives a chance to make friends.' And another said that it has: 'Given me so much confidence, experiences and life skills that I would not have been able to gain anywhere else.' These were just some of the positive experiences that were shared with us. When youth services are in place, they can really change lives. I want to thank the Minister for Lifelong Learning and Welsh Language for his consideration of our findings. It was very welcome to see the Minister broadly accept all 10 recommendations made by the committee. Our findings were very clear: when youth work disappears from a young person's life, the impact is considerable. Whilst cuts in funding are not exclusive to youth services, in a difficult financial climate for local authorities it can often be youth services first to bear the brunt. The total amount of expenditure on youth services by local authorities, including funding through the revenue support grant, has reduced by almost 25 per cent over the last four years. Evidence from the voluntary sector suggested they had also faced severe reductions in funding, and that this has had a considerable impact, with intensified competition for scarce resource. The committee recognised the difficult decisions faced by local authorities. However, we feel that developing youth services is an essential investment in the future of the nation's young people. These services are often a catalyst to help young people develop skills and confidence and make better choices in their lives. Whilst their impact may not often be apparent in the short term, young people told us of the longer term impact services can have to help them achieve their potential.
Welsh: Diolch i chi, Lywydd. Rwy'n falch iawn o agor y ddadl hon ar adroddiad cyntaf ymchwiliad y Pwyllgor Plant, Pobl Ifanc ac Addysg i waith ieuenctid yng Nghymru. Hoffwn gofnodi fy niolch i'r 1,500 o bobl ifanc o bob rhan o Gymru a roddodd eu barn i'r pwyllgor. Roedd eu tystiolaeth yn glir iawn fod gwasanaethau ieuenctid yn bwysig iawn i lawer o bobl ifanc, a gall wneud gwahaniaeth sylweddol i'w bywydau. Roeddwn yn falch iawn hefyd o weld yr ymateb cadarnhaol i'r ymchwiliad hwn gan randdeiliaid ledled Cymru. Roeddem yn ddiolchgar iawn am eu gonestrwydd yn ein helpu, fel pwyllgor, i ddeall beth yw'r heriau, ac am eu brwdfrydedd wrth ymwneud â gwaith y pwyllgor. Hoffwn ddiolch yn arbennig i Gyngor Cymreig y Gwasanaethau Ieuenctid Gwirfoddol am eu cefnogaeth yn dwyn cynifer o'r bobl hynny at ei gilydd yn ein digwyddiad bwrdd crwn ardderchog gyda rhanddeiliaid. Gwnaeth ymrwymiad a brwdfrydedd y rheini a fynychodd argraff fawr arnaf, ac rwy'n siŵr fod yr un peth yn wir am aelodau eraill y pwyllgor. Mae gwaith ieuenctid yn newid bywydau go iawn, nid yn unig i'r plant a'r bobl ifanc, ond i'r staff a'r gwirfoddolwyr dirifedi sy'n gwneud i bethau ddigwydd bob dydd ledled Cymru. Bydd yr Aelodau'n gyfarwydd â gwasanaethau yn eu hetholaethau eu hunain ac yn gwybod sut y gallant ddylanwadu ar ddinasyddion ifanc Cymru a rhoi sgiliau am oes iddynt. Trwy gydol ein hymchwiliad, cawsom dystiolaeth gan bobl ifanc sydd wedi elwa o wasanaethau ieuenctid, a hefyd y rhai sydd wedi colli'r gwasanaethau hynny. Dywedodd un person ifanc a oedd wedi bod yn defnyddio gwasanaethau yn flaenorol: Heb weithwyr ieuenctid ni fuaswn y person wyf fi heddiw mae gan berson ifanc hawl i ofod diogel a rhywle i gael hwyl, chwarae a chymryd rhan. Dywedodd un arall wrthym eu bod yn teimlo eu bod - gwasanaethau ieuenctid - yn dda iawn ar gyfer pobl sydd â llai o ffrindiau gan ei fod yn rhoi cyfle iddynt wneud ffrindiau. A dywedodd eu bod wedi: Rhoi cymaint o hyder, profiadau a sgiliau bywyd i mi na fuaswn wedi gallu eu cael yn unman arall. Dim ond rhai o'r profiadau cadarnhaol a gafodd eu rhannu gyda ni yw'r rhain. Pan fydd gwasanaethau ieuenctid yn eu lle, gallant newid bywydau. Hoffwn ddiolch i Weinidog y Gymraeg a Dysgu Gydol Oes am ystyried ein canfyddiadau. Roedd hi'n dda iawn gweld y Gweinidog yn derbyn yn fras pob un o'r 10 o argymhellion a wnaed gan y pwyllgor. Roedd ein canfyddiadau'n glir iawn: pan fydd gwaith ieuenctid yn diflannu o fywyd person ifanc, mae'r effaith yn sylweddol. Er nad yw toriadau ariannol wedi'u cyfyngu i wasanaethau ieuenctid, mewn hinsawdd ariannol anodd i awdurdodau lleol, gwasanaethau ieuenctid yw'r cyntaf i ddod dan bwysau yn aml. Mae cyfanswm y gwariant ar wasanaethau ieuenctid awdurdodau lleol, gan gynnwys arian drwy'r grant cynnal refeniw, wedi gostwng bron i 25 y cant dros y pedair blynedd diwethaf. Awgrymodd tystiolaeth gan y sector gwirfoddol eu bod hwy hefyd wedi wynebu gostyngiadau difrifol yn y cyllid, a bod hyn wedi cael effaith sylweddol, gyda rhagor o gystadleuaeth am adnoddau prin. Cydnabu'r pwyllgor y penderfyniadau anodd y mae awdurdodau lleol yn eu hwynebu. Fodd bynnag, teimlwn fod datblygu gwasanaethau ieuenctid yn fuddsoddiad hanfodol yn nyfodol pobl ifanc y genedl. Mae'r gwasanaethau hyn yn aml yn gatalydd i helpu pobl ifanc i ddatblygu sgiliau a hyder a gwneud dewisiadau gwell yn eu bywydau. Er na fydd eu heffaith bob amser yn amlwg yn y tymor byr o bosibl, dywedodd pobl ifanc wrthym am yr effaith fwy hirdymor y gall gwasanaethau ei chael i'w helpu i gyflawni eu potensial.