English: Two hundred thousand Irishmen fought in the hostilities of the first world war, 35,000 of them died, and that's why I'm wearing a shamrock poppy today, in order to mark their contribution to the war. Because the Cabinet Secretary and Mohammad Asghar are quite right: it was the whole of the Commonwealth that was engaged in these hostilities. British men and servicemen from around the Commonwealth were fighting shoulder to shoulder against what they saw as the evil of their day, and many did pay the ultimate sacrifice. It's quite right that this weekend we will be remembering them, and we will ensure that their memory is not extinguished in the way that it is about so many other things in this world. There has been a wonderful programme, I think, of commemoration that has taken place over these past four years, and I want to thank the First Minister for the way in which he initiated the Cymru'n Cofio - Wales Remembers programme all those years ago. I'm pleased to see that its programme of work is going to be extended. There are some very important anniversaries to mark over the next 12 months, of course, including the seventy-fifth anniversary of D-day and the 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division's liberation of 's-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands, which took place 75 years ago in October next year. I think it would be good if the work of Cymru'n Cofio could continue even beyond the timeframe by which it's already been extended, because there will of course be military anniversaries on an ongoing basis. It's not going to be that long away before we're marking the seventy-fifth anniversary of other events in the second world war, and indeed the eightieth anniversary and ninetieth anniversaries. So, this programme of military remembrance, I think, does need to continue. Mark Isherwood opened this debate, of course, by highlighting the fact that not only has there been significant progress in recent years, but that we still have some way to go in ensuring that there is consistent support available for our veteran community, certainly as far as the national health service is concerned. We have a great story to tell with Veterans NHS Wales, but there are waiting times that are too long to access that service at the moment, and that is despite the good work of Help for Heroes, in terms of the investment that it's put in, in order to try to help fill those gaps. The third sector, of course, does a tremendous job in supporting our armed forces family. The Royal British Legion has been mentioned on many occasions today already, as has Change Step, but Combat Stress, SSAFA, Alabaré, Woody's Lodge - a whole host of organisations are out there offering support, and I think it's to the credit of the Welsh Government that they've worked with them very well in extending that support to the veteran community. But, as I say, there's much more work to be done, and I think that we all need to put our shoulder to the wheel to make sure that those remaining gaps in services are indeed not just identified, but filled. I just want to turn very briefly, before I close, to this issue about a commissioner, and the need for an armed forces commissioner here in Wales. My party of course welcomed the additional support for the armed forces liaison officers that are working and embedded in local authorities across Wales, and I think that we need to pay tribute to them for their work. But the reality is that those posts are junior posts in very large public sector organisations. Those individuals will not have the sort of clout that an armed forces commissioner supporting armed forces serving personnel across Wales and their families, and supporting veterans and their families, could have. We've seen the impact, the positive impact, of commissioners for children and young people, for older people, and indeed the future generations commissioner, now that she's taking on her work, and the way in which they can move an agenda forward in a way that others are not able to. So, I would urge all Members in this Chamber, including those that are still having the jury out, as it were, in terms of their views on this, to support the principle of an armed forces commissioner for Wales. Because I really do think it would make a huge difference to those armed forces families and the armed forces community across the country. [ Interruption.] Yes, yes. I just want to touch on the amendment that Neil McEvoy has also tabled, very briefly. I will not be able to support that particular amendment today, simply because you refer to soldiers only. Of course we know that those who serve in the military are not just soldiers. You have airmen, you have sailors, and a whole host of other people who are contributing to our armed forces. So, I regret that we will not be able to support your amendment today simply because of the limitations in terms of the way that it's been worded. But I do hope that people will reconsider this support for the armed forces commissioner in their voting intentions. Thank you.
Welsh: Ymladdodd 200,000 o Wyddelod ym mrwydrau'r rhyfel byd cyntaf, a bu farw 35,000 ohonynt, a dyna pam rwy'n gwisgo pabi meillionen heddiw, er mwyn nodi eu cyfraniad hwy i'r rhyfel. Oherwydd mae Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet a Mohammad Asghar yn hollol iawn: ymladdodd y Gymanwlad gyfan yn y brwydrau hyn. Roedd dynion Prydeinig ac aelodau o'r lluoedd arfog o bob cwr o'r Gymanwlad yn ymladd ochr yn ochr yn erbyn yr hyn a welent fel drygioni mawr eu dydd, a gwnaeth llawer yr aberth eithaf. Mae'n hollol iawn inni eu cofio y penwythnos hwn, a byddwn yn sicrhau na chaiff y cof amdanynt ei ddiffodd yn y ffordd y caiff ei ddiffodd ynglŷn â chymaint o bethau eraill yn y byd hwn. Rwy'n credu ei bod hi wedi bod yn rhaglen goffa wych dros y pedair blynedd ddiwethaf, a hoffwn ddiolch i'r Prif Weinidog am y ffordd y cychwynnodd raglen Cymru'n Cofio yr holl flynyddoedd hynny yn ôl. Rwy'n falch o weld bod y rhaglen waith yn mynd i gael ei hymestyn. Mae rhai dyddiadau pwysig iawn i'w nodi dros y 12 mis nesaf wrth gwrs, gan gynnwys 75 mlynedd ers D-day a rhyddhau 's-Hertogenbosch yn yr Iseldiroedd gan Adran 53 y Milwyr Traed (Cymreig), a ddigwyddodd 75 mlynedd yn ôl i fis Hydref y flwyddyn nesaf. Credaf y byddai'n dda pe gallai gwaith Cymru'n Cofio barhau y tu hwnt i'r amserlen y cafodd ei hymestyn eisoes hyd yn oed, oherwydd bydd dyddiadau milwrol i'w coffáu ar sail barhaus wrth gwrs. Nid oes cymaint â hynny o amser hyd nes y byddwn yn nodi 75 mlynedd ers digwyddiadau eraill yn ystod yr ail ryfel byd, ac 80 a 90 mlynedd yn wir. Felly, credaf fod angen i'r rhaglen goffáu milwrol hon barhau. Agorodd Mark Isherwood y ddadl hon, wrth gwrs, drwy dynnu sylw at y ffaith nid yn unig fod cynnydd sylweddol wedi'i wneud yn y blynyddoedd diwethaf, ond bod gennym gryn ffordd i fynd i sicrhau bod cefnogaeth gyson ar gael i'n cymuned o gyn-filwyr, yn sicr o ran y gwasanaeth iechyd gwladol. Mae gennym stori wych i'w hadrodd gyda GIG Cymru i Gyn-filwyr, ond mae amseroedd aros yn rhy hir yn y gwasanaeth hwnnw ar hyn o bryd, a hynny er gwaethaf y gwaith da y mae Help for Heroes wedi'i wneud yn darparu buddsoddiad er mwyn ceisio helpu i lenwi'r bylchau hynny. Mae'r trydydd sector, wrth gwrs, yn gwneud gwaith aruthrol yn cefnogi ein teuluoedd lluoedd arfog. Soniwyd am y Lleng Brydeinig Frenhinol sawl gwaith heddiw yn barod, yn ogystal â Newid Cam, ond hefyd mae Combat Stress, SSAFA, Alabaré, Woody's Lodge - llu o sefydliadau sy'n cynnig cymorth, a chredaf fod Llywodraeth Cymru i'w chanmol am weithio gyda hwy'n dda iawn i ymestyn y gefnogaeth honno i gymuned y cyn-filwyr. Ond fel y dywedaf, mae llawer mwy o waith i'w wneud, a chredaf fod angen i bawb ohonom bwyso i wneud yn siŵr fod y bylchau sy'n weddill yn y gwasanaethau yn cael eu nodi a'u llenwi. Hoffwn droi'n fyr iawn, cyn i mi orffen, at fater comisiynydd, a'r angen am gomisiynydd y lluoedd arfog yma yng Nghymru. Wrth gwrs roedd fy mhlaid yn croesawu'r cymorth ychwanegol i swyddogion cyswllt y lluoedd arfog sy'n gweithio ac yn ennill eu plwyf mewn awdurdodau lleol ledled Cymru, a chredaf fod angen inni dalu teyrnged iddynt am eu gwaith. Ond y realiti yw bod y swyddi hynny'n swyddi llai dylanwadol mewn sefydliadau sector cyhoeddus mawr. Ni fydd gan yr unigolion hynny y math o ddylanwad a allai fod gan gomisiynydd y lluoedd arfog i gefnogi personél y lluoedd arfog ledled Cymru sy'n gwasanaethu a'u teuluoedd, ac i gefnogi cyn-filwyr a'u teuluoedd. Rydym wedi gweld effaith, effaith gadarnhaol, comisiynwyr plant a phobl ifanc, pobl hŷn, ac yn wir y comisiynydd cenedlaethau'r dyfodol wrth iddi ymgymryd â'i gwaith yn awr, a'r ffordd y gallant symud agenda yn ei blaen mewn ffordd nad yw eraill yn gallu ei wneud. Felly, buaswn yn annog pob Aelod yn y Siambr, gan gynnwys y rhai sy'n dal heb ffurfio barn ar y mater, i gefnogi'r egwyddor o gomisiynydd y lluoedd arfog i Gymru. Oherwydd rwy'n meddwl o ddifrif y byddai'n gwneud gwahaniaeth aruthrol i deuluoedd y lluoedd arfog a chymuned y lluoedd arfog ar draws y wlad. [ Torri ar draws.] Ie, iawn. Hoffwn gyffwrdd ar y gwelliant y mae Neil McEvoy wedi'i gyflwyno hefyd, yn fyr iawn. Ni fyddaf yn gallu cefnogi'r gwelliant hwnnw heddiw, yn syml am eich bod yn cyfeirio at filwyr yn unig. Wrth gwrs, fe wyddom nad milwyr yn unig sy'n gwasanaethu yn y lluoedd arfog. Mae gennych awyrenwyr, mae gennych forwyr, a llu o bobl eraill sy'n cyfrannu at ein lluoedd arfog. Felly, mae'n ddrwg gennyf ond ni fyddaf yn gallu cefnogi eich gwelliant heddiw yn syml oherwydd y cyfyngiadau o ran y ffordd y mae wedi'i eirio. Ond rwy'n gobeithio y bydd pobl yn ailystyried y gefnogaeth i gomisiynydd y lluoedd arfog wrth feddwl sut y maent yn mynd i bleidleisio. Diolch.