Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee

Good morning and welcome back. We're now moving on to item 3, still looking at our inquiry into Wales-Ireland relations—culture, language and heritage. We're moving on to panel 6. Joining us today, virtually, we have Lowri Williams. I'll ask both witnesses to introduce themselves for the record—Lowri Williams and also Séamas Ó Concheanainn. I'll ask Lowri to introduce herself for the record first of all.

Thank you very much. Good morning and thank you for the opportunity to contribute to this session. My name is Lowri Williams. I am a strategic director with the Welsh Language Commissioner.

A warm welcome to you.

Séamas, if I could ask you to introduce yourself, and I believe that you have some opening remarks you'd like to make as well.

Thank you very much.

A Chathaoirligh, agus a Bhaill an tSeanaid, mar Choimisinéir Teanga fáiltím roimh an deis teacht i láthair an Choiste Cultúir, Cumarsáide, Breatnaise, Spóirt agus Caidrimh Idirnáisiúnta le labhairt faoin ábhar tábhachtach, an caidreamh idir an Bhreatain Bheag agus Éire.

Chair and Members of Senedd Cymru, as An Comisinéir Teanga, I very much welcome the opportunity to address this committee on the important matters of Wales-Ireland relations. Ireland and Wales are woven together by a rich historical tapestry of economic, linguistic and cultural connections that span thousands of years. The Ireland-Wales shared statement 2030 serves to deepen the long-standing collaboration between our nations. This statement reinforces important commitments that are essential to both my role as An Comisinéir Teanga, but also to my counterpart in Wales, the Welsh Language Commissioner, Efa Gruffudd Jones. As language commissioners, we are united in our commitment to safeguarding and promoting language rights, which are essential for cultivating the vibrancy of our national languages. It is important to highlight the commitment referenced on page 16 of the Ireland-Wales shared statement 2030 in particular, which articulates the significance of the common challenges that we face in protecting and promoting the increased use of our national languages within wider bilingual communities.

I wish to take this opportunity to acknowledge the enduring partnership between Oifig an Choimisinéara Teanga here in Ireland and the Welsh Language Commissioner's office. The collaboration between our offices traces back to the terms of the inaugural language commissioners in both jurisdictions, Seán Ó Cuirreáin and Meri Huws respectively. This co-operation further developed during the tenures of my predecessor, Rónán Ó Domhnaill, and that of the Welsh Language Commissioner, Aled Roberts, who is fondly remembered after his untimely passing. Presently, our offices are steadfast in our commitment to working collaboratively, fostering an environment of knowledge sharing and mutual support. Through our bilateral relationship and our engagement with the International Association of Language Commissioners, of which I am currently serving as chair, we reaffirm our collective dedication to promoting and supporting language rights for the communities that we serve. It's important to recognise the distinct roles of An Comisinéir Teanga and the Welsh Language Commissioner with respect to language rights and language promotion in our respective jurisdictions. Unlike the Welsh Language Commissioner, my office does not hold a statutory brief in formulating and implementing policies or strategies for the promotion of the Irish language. This critical brief rests with the Minister and Government Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht.

The enactment of the Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021, which amended the original Official Languages Act of 2003, has resulted in notable achievements and milestones in strengthening the language rights of the Irish-speaking community. The amended 2021 language rights legislation has led to a significant rise in advertising in Irish by public bodies. A recently published audit report by my office indicated that public bodies spent €19 million on advertising in Irish in 2024. This new statutory provision greatly enhances the visibility and usage of the Irish language across all media platforms. The Government of Ireland launched the first ever statutory national plan for Irish language public services in the history of the Irish state in October 2024. The main aim of this plan is to set out a clear pathway for the public sector in Ireland to build capacity and significantly improve public services in the Irish language.

Diolch yn fawr iawn. Thank you ever so much, Séamas. That's a really useful overview to set the scene at the start, so thank you ever so much. I'll come straight into questions, and I'll start with you, Séamas, if I may. I wanted to ask you about the importance, as you see it, of Wales-Ireland relations. I was really struck by the language that you used in that statement there about how we have been woven together in a tapestry. Could you talk us through the importance, as you see it, of the relationships between the nations?

Well, our national languages are an inherent trait of our culture, and I'm very pleased to see the emphasis that's placed in the Ireland-Wales statement for 2030 on not only the promotion of language, but the strengthening of language rights. As An Comisinéir, through my ongoing relationship with the Welsh Language Commissioner's office, we see very practical steps that we can take in terms of knowledge sharing and strategic insights into some of those cornerstones that I emphasised in my opening remarks, specifically the Welsh context. The Welsh Language Commissioner has a very strong record in implementing language standards as a strategic tool for improving language rights. The key aspect here, Chair, is that, from my point of view, and through the bilateral work between our offices and that of the International Association of Language Commissioners, we are strongly of the opinion that language rights are a key component of sustaining our national languages and enhancing the vibrancy of that language within our jurisdictions.

Diolch yn fawr iawn. Thank you ever so much, Séamas.

Lowri, if I could turn to you, in terms of your work—well, not just in terms of your work—and in terms of your insight into the importance of the work and that link that exists between Wales and Ireland, what would you like to say about that, please?

Well, as a commissioner's office, it's very valuable that we have an Irish language commissioner who is so close to us. Of course, our work is to promote and facilitate the use of the Welsh language and, as Séamas has mentioned, that ability to share information and good practice and experience emerging from our work in relation to standards, and more broadly in the policy area, is crucial for us, particularly in light of the fact that both languages operate in a context where English is the dominant language.

As Séamas has noted, we have worked with the Irish commissioner mainly through the International Association of Language Commissioners, and we believe that work will need to be enhanced because of the legislative developments in Ireland as well as in Wales, as a result of the Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Act 2025. So, those are things that Séamas has already touched upon, but, perhaps, we could discuss them further.

Also, as I've noted, in terms of the policy work that we do as a commissioner's office, there is further collaboration with other agencies beyond the commissioner's office in Ireland, such as with Conradh na Gaeilge, where we've been advising on the iaith gwaith designation, which is celebrating its twentieth anniversary in Wales this year. We also have expertise in relation to national language policy, and we have been advising Údarás na Gaeltachta on language policy and language impact assessments. Most recently, on Monday, we provided evidence to the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly on housing in rural areas, and we saw there, from the questioning from members from Ireland, that there were shared issues in terms of rural housing particularly.

So, in brief, these relationships are important because of the shared information, experiences, skills and so on, which are crucial for us as a commissioner's office.

Thank you very much to both of you. Now we'll go to questions from Gareth.

Thank you, Chair. Good morning, everyone.

I want to discuss the—. Well, Brexit is the subject. We've received evidence on the impact of Brexit. In your views, what opportunities, limitations or challenges have there been for language co-operation post Brexit?

Who would like to go first on that?

I can talk about that. I think in the challenges around Brexit, what came to the fore was the importance of inter-governmental forums such as the British-Irish Council to address the challenges that have arisen across a broad spectrum—whether it's climate change, economic trade, of course, and in terms of co-operation around culture and language. Again, I think it's very clear, it speaks very clearly, within the Welsh and Irish statement for 2030, the emphasis that is placed on the promotion of our national languages.

Practically, in the International Association of Language Commissioners, we have commissioners from Canada, Catalonia and the Basque region. Those different jurisdictions have their own challenges, whether it's in relation to Brexit or, for example, US-Canada trade, economic relationships around tariffs and so on. There would be implications there to mitigate risk around budget allocations depending on the economic situation.

I very much welcome the fact that the importance of language rights and language promotion is being discussed in the context of inter-governmental relationships, bilateral relationships. When that is the case, it's much easier to make the argument of sufficient funding for our respective roles within our jurisdictions. In terms of my role here, I would work very closely with the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht. In the overall context, the Government has a clear strategy on how to address the challenges of breakfast—of Brexit—which would inform our challenges around that.

Diolch, Séamas. You are not the first or, no doubt, the last person to have said that one word instead of 'Brexit' there. Diolch, Séamas, that's incredibly useful.

Lowri, was there anything you wanted to add?

No, not really. From the point of view of our work as the commissioner's office, I wouldn't say that Brexit has affected our work. Before Brexit, occasionally, officials would receive invitations to join visits to countries in Europe, but those were additional activities to our core work.

So, Brexit hasn't affected us as such, and our international work has continued through the International Association of Language Commissioners, as well as other forums in Europe and beyond. For example, we occasionally go to conferences in the area of language planning. We have also contributed to other networks, for example ELEN, the European Language Equality Network.

So, to sum up, I wouldn't say that Brexit has affected our work specifically, but I do understand that it has perhaps affected the work of other bodies working on promoting the Welsh language.

Have there been any gaps in resources or anything to that tune in terms of our journey towards 'Cymraeg 2050'? Obviously, we're all subscribed to that. We want 1 million Welsh speakers by that year. Is there any arm or area of international relations that can help us get to that goal? Or is it something that we can do ourselves quite autonomously? Or can that rely on some improved international relations in that regard?

I think, to go back to what we discussed at the outset, in particular in this context, because of those new provisions in the Irish legislation, from the point of view of the Irish language, that step towards getting 20 per cent of the workforce being able to speak Irish by 2030, and the work that we are working with several other people on, on developing the Welsh workforce to be able to provide Welsh services, in bodies such as Medr and the coleg Cymraeg, and so on—. So, there is room for us, from now on, to be working together, I think, and to be learning further lessons from each other.

As well as that, the emphasis in the legislation in Ireland is on the workforce, in particular in Gaeltacht areas, where the language of administration should be Irish. Again, that is something that would be beneficial for us to be understanding more about, in terms of more sharing information from the point of view of the work of the Commission for Welsh-speaking Communities, which has, of course, published a report, but is now working on another report on areas of lower density in terms of Welsh speakers.

To go back to that initial question, I don't think that Brexit as such has impacted things. But I do think that, potentially, the collaboration document could have touched further on some of those areas where there is collaboration that could be happening, such as, like I said, in terms of developing the workforce, and also in the area of place names, which is a priority for the Welsh Government, as it is for us as the commissioner's office, as well as language planning more broadly on a community level. There is a reference to sports communities and so on in that document. So I do think there are some areas where that document could perhaps be reinforced to feed into the implementation of the 2050 strategy, because the Welsh language affects so many other areas in that document from the point of view of collaboration.

Diolch, Lowri. Séamas, is there anything that you wanted to add on this?

In terms of the national plan for public services in Irish, the issue of resources is a significant one, because, for the first time, we have a statutory plan that will look at the national level and how the public service will develop capacity to improve significantly public services in Irish. There are the two cornerstones that I mentioned: the language standards on the one hand, and the other is a sufficient pool of human resources with appropriate competency in the Irish language to deliver that.

If we look at the scale of the public service in Ireland, around 400,000 people work there. On average, approximately 12,000 new recruits come in annually. In terms of one in five having competency in Irish, you're talking about building significant capacity and a requirement for additional resources to undertake a statutory requirement on that scale. That's why collaboration between the different arms of the state involved in the promotion of language, including my office with regard to language rights implementation, is required.

I've set that out clearly in a commentary that I recently published as part of my new functions. Under the revised 2021 legislation, I have a function to comment on the work of a statutory advisory committee that was set up by the Minister to oversee the implementation of the national plan. In terms of resourcing that at the appropriate level, without question, the preparation, planning and scaling up to that capacity for one in five recruits is a significant challenge, but I feel that it’s very achievable.

Thank you very much. We'll go to Heledd.

Thank you very much, and thank you for being here with us today. I just wanted to take us back to the new shared statement. Obviously, you have referred to the fact that you were named, but in the written evidence, you confirmed that you hadn't been part of the process. So, could I ask you how you came to learn of the new statement, and the fact that you had been included in that? I don't know who would like to start. Lowri.

I can confirm that the commissioner wasn't part of the process of drawing up that shared statement, and neither are we named in the document. To be honest, we weren't aware that it had been published until you as a committee contacted us and invited us to this session. We would have been delighted to have an opportunity to contribute, because of the relationship that we have with the Irish language commissioner, and, as we've already outlined, because we do see that there is scope for us to be collaborating even more at the commissioner level and at the governmental and public body level in terms of assisting with good practice and so on in relation to standards, but also in the context of broader language policy.

Thank you very much. If I could just expand on that, obviously we heard evidence earlier on this morning that the intention was to ensure that some organisations related to the Government would be named. So, we would—. And we had recommended previously that the commissioner should be—. Perhaps that's something that we'll have to scrutinise further. Perhaps from the Irish side, it would be interesting to know if there was anything there, Séamas, that you were part of.

As I mentioned in my opening address, the statutory remit for policy formulation and the strategic development of the Irish language, promoting it, enhancing it, doesn’t fall within my remit, as it does in that of my counterpart in Wales. But, nevertheless, we’re aware of it through the work with the Welsh commissioner’s office, also through attending the St David’s Day celebrations, and other very important communications that happen. Again, through my functions, through my annual report, through the commentary that I mentioned earlier, and the work of the advisory committee, through the conferences that we run with the International Association of Language Commissioners, that co-operation, the involvement, the importance of the language commissioner’s role in informing public discourse and informing policy formulation is nevertheless a very important aspect of my work that we take very seriously and commit significant resources to.

Thank you. Do you feel, therefore, that the shared statement, if you've seen it, conveys or captures the language co-operation that exists between Wales and Ireland? Perhaps, Lowri, in particular for you in terms of the Welsh commissioner's office, it would be good to see that you, in particular, were named, and that close relationship that's there. Obviously, there is a reference to the importance of language, but you haven't been named specifically.

Clearly, we welcome the reference to culture, language and heritage, and the need to be collaborating to increase the use of both languages in the statement. Clearly, one accepts that it is essentially a document that has to be relatively brief.

But having said that, I think there are areas that could be strengthened, and more detail could be provided—yes, in the context of our work as the Welsh Language Commissioner and the Irish language commissioner, but also, as I've noted, in the context of other areas. The Welsh language permeates beyond the specific area of language and culture, for example in relation to the economy, where the Welsh language can extend itself to become an effective marketing tool for companies. I've already mentioned the work in communities. That is reflected in the document, how that could be pertinent to the crucial work that's done by the mentrau iaith, the Commission for Welsh-speaking Communities, and the potential of strategies for the promotion of the Welsh language that emerge from the promotion standards.

And also, even looking at elements of the statement related to climate and the environment, there is discussion now around an exchange in terms of green skills. Again, we as a commission have emphasised how important it is to provide training in that sector in rural communities, in order to facilitate the move to greener communities and more sustainable communities, and that is for the sake of the viability of communities where there is a high density of Welsh speakers, which tend to be in rural areas.

So, to respond to your question, we do welcome the fact that the Welsh language is included, that there is emphasis on collaboration, but we also believe that there are areas where the statement could be strengthened. In looking at heritage and culture in the document, there are specific bodies named that would collaborate in those sectors. The same isn't true in relation to the Welsh language, despite the fact that there is reference to language acquisition, to language transfer. There are specific organisations whose work could have been referred to, and that could have actually encouraged greater collaboration perhaps.

Thank you very much. That's very useful. Séamas, I don't know if there is anything you want to add to that.

I think there is scope within the statement to acknowledge and to look at the potential of building on the collaboration outside of the work of the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht. We also have An Foras Teanga—Foras na Gaeilge, specifically set up under the Good Friday agreement of 1999 to promote the use of the Irish language on the island of Ireland. In terms of language planning nationally, that was put on a statutory footing in 2012 with the Gaeltacht Act 2012. An Ghaeltacht are the official designated areas where the Irish language is the community language, and the brief for that rests with Údarás na Gaeltachta, the regional development agency for economic, social and cultural development. So, I think the work of those agencies could be included within the scope of the statement, and I think doing that would enhance the discourse and the opportunities for further collaboration, because each organisation has their own speciality in terms of their brief, and have very important contributions to make to our overall goal of promoting and sustaining our national languages. So, I think that discourse, to look at the scope and expanding the scope of the statement, merits examination.

Thank you very much for those comments. Could I also ask you—? I'm sure that you're aware that there's also a memorandum of understanding between the UK and Ireland. There is no reference within that to language, even though there is an emphasis in terms of culture and collaboration and so on. I wanted to ask you whether you'd been part of anything to do with that memorandum of understanding, either in terms of drawing it up or being asked to provide input to that. We're aware that some national organisations here in Wales and Ireland have been part of that discussion recently.

Again, through the Chair, similar to the context for the Wales-Ireland statement, that brief wouldn't necessarily land on my desk. Nevertheless, the co-operation and the brief, the remit of those organisations that I mentioned, are very important in the overall application, the overall strategy of the Irish Government in not only promoting the Irish language, but building close relationships between our countries. Coming back to the British-Irish Council, there are eight administrations involved in that, and we have different contexts and challenges around the demographics of language use in terms of the size of our populations, the challenges that we face around digital technology, artificial intelligence. And I think that there is potential, or scope, within that framework to look at the key challenges and the key opportunities that we face, both at a national level and at a regional level. So, again, through the Chair, I think that that's something that definitely merits further exploration.

Thank you very much. Lowri.

Na, doedden ni ddim yn rhan o'r broses o lunio'r memorandwm cyd-ddealltwriaeth rhwng y Deyrnas Unedig ac Iwerddon. Fe wnaethon ni nodi bod datblygu cysylltiadau dyfnach rhwng pobl a diwylliannau Prydain ac Iwerddon yn elfen oedd yn cael ei blaenoriaethu yn y memorandwm, felly mewn ffordd mae'n bechod bod dim ystyriaeth i'r cydweithio sy'n digwydd o safbwynt y Gymraeg a'r Wyddeleg, oherwydd eu bod nhw mor unigryw i Gymru, a byddai hynny efallai wedi gallu atgyfnerthu'r ymrwymiad yna i fod yn dyfnhau'r cysylltiadau rhwng pobl a diwylliannau'r ddwy wlad.

Thank you.

Thank you for that. We'll move on to Mick.

I was going to ask some questions about funding and resources, but you dealt with those quite extensively early on, so I don't really want to pursue those and repeat that area, because we're aware that there are, obviously, funding challenges, but also resources are fundamental to achieving many objectives. So, I'm going to go off script a little bit and just ask about two areas that I'm concerned about.

All of the things that are done in terms of promotion, development, giving rights and status to language and things that can be done jointly and that we can learn mutually between Wales and Ireland are obviously important, but at the end of the day, it seems that one of the biggest challenges is motivation to use. We saw when we visited the Basque Country the massive progress made after the Franco period in terms of the restoration of people's ability to speak, but of course the default language is reverting back predominantly, for example, to Spanish, and it's the same sort of challenge there, unless people in their hearts and minds seriously want to use the language and are motivated to do it. So, I'm just wondering, in terms of Wales and Ireland, what you think can be done in terms of that motivation, because I think that it's a major challenge even within Wales as well. What can be done there? And then the second question, I'll put it in as well, so if you just take it in two parts, is: if there are one or two key things that really needed to be done and achieved, what would you identify them as being between Wales and Ireland? Thank you. Diolch yn fawr.

Séamas, would you like to go first?

I think that the questions from the Member, through the Chair, are very, very relevant in terms of motivating speakers to use public services. In some contexts, we find a pushback from service providers that the demand isn't there, but unfortunately our experience, as we know through the nature and level of complaints that we receive, is that the standard in some contexts in Ireland at the moment, the services through Irish are of a low standard. For example, I'm very impressed with the latest performance report by the Welsh Language Commissioner that highlights key services like websites, official forms, social media posts—very contemporary services in sustaining any language—that they are reaching levels of around 90 per cent. So, in terms of motivating speakers, if the public services available in our national languages are of a high standard, I think that that's a key tool.

I referenced earlier the different arms of the state and how language rights implementation is a key tool within the toolkit of our states, of our Governments, to achieve vibrancy in our language, and, of course, alignment with the strategy for promoting learning, using the language. Something that I've emphasised very much in my commentary on the work of the advisory committee for the national plan, the first of its type, is the importance of the third level university sector and that there are sufficient graduates with high competency in the Irish language in disciplines, such as corporate governance, language planning, human resource management. The importance of motivating students to undertake those programmes is that, if we don't change the psyche of corporate governance within public organisations around the importance of delivering public services in our national languages, it's difficult to envisage the improvement at a national level that we require of the organisations.

I mentioned earlier Foras na Gaeilge and Údarás na Gaeltachta, the department. They have key strategies in terms of promoting and sustaining the Irish language within the Gaeltacht and other supporting organisations. But, of course, the education system doesn't start at third level, but at pre-school, primary and secondary, and at the moment we're looking at the specific provision at secondary level, so that you have those prospective third level students to work in the areas that we have.

In terms of key points, the national plan is the framework in Ireland. I referenced the language standards, the implementation, the invaluable repository of knowledge that rests within the Welsh jurisdiction, and how language standards have been implemented, the challenges and the opportunities. So, I very much look forward to working closely with my counterparts in Wales on that.

In terms of the wider picture, the national co-ordination, how do we co-ordinate the improvement in public services in our respective national languages in that context? What are the resources, the structures that are required to ensure that? So, that's why I've emphasised so much of what I call the cornerstones of future knowledge sharing and strategic insights—the systematic workforce planning being a key one, and that must be fully aligned with the language standards.

Thank you. Lowri.

Yes, that is, you spoke about language use, and certainly that's a major challenge for all of us. As the commissioner's office, we have prioritised the workplace as an important location where there are opportunities, obviously, to use the Welsh language in providing services, but also to create positive habits in terms of using the Welsh language, building people's confidence. We think that that could have a positive effect on people's use of the language outside of work as well, and on the decisions that they make regarding the Welsh language, in terms of Welsh language transmission and using the Welsh language. A crucial element of that, as Séamas mentioned, is ensuring that we have a workforce that has the requisite Welsh language skills in the first place.

Another element that we prioritise is children and young people and the importance of developing positive practices in terms of using the Welsh language amongst those, namely the people who will then go on to be part of the workforce and to use the Welsh language then at work.

But from the point of view of services, obviously, as has already been mentioned, it's important to ensure that those services have parity with English services in terms of quality, and that people are aware of them and that they know that they are consistently available to them. That gives people confidence and it can influence people's use of those services. The work that we commission every year asks what would increase people's use, and the confidence in knowing that they are available and that they are of quality are responses that we receive frequently.

From the perspective of things that we would like to achieve, going back to what's already been said already, truth be told, I would say the work around workforce, developing how the tertiary and post-16 sector can provide a workforce that will be able to meet the requirements for delivering services through the medium of Welsh. But also a crucial element of that, which, obviously, comes from the Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Act 2025, is how we train enough teachers in the statutory sector to be able to provide people with and give them those skills across a broad continuum of skills to go ahead then and use those skills. The co-operation document also refers to the transmission of Welsh and Irish between the generations and to working in communities.

So, I think, in that area, it would be possible for the document, the shared statement, to prioritise that community element also of developing language planning on a community level—I've already mentioned the work of the Commission for Welsh-speaking Communities, and how the promotion standards that are being reviewed in light of the Welsh language and education Act can also be used as a vehicle for language planning locally, on the level of local authorities and national parks, for example. So, yes, that education and workforce sector and the community aspect, I would say are areas that should be concentrated on.

Okay, diolch yn fawr. That concludes the points I wanted to raise, Chair.

Thank you, Mick. And finally, we'll go to Lee.

Diolch. Just to briefly ask about future support you think you might be offered by the Governments to ensure your co-operation and what future Senedd Members might focus on to improve Wales-Ireland relations.

Lowri first?

Yes, I'm happy to answer first. Our work as the Welsh Language Commissioner's office, in reality, has happened outwith any shared statement between Wales and Ireland. That work will continue, mainly, as I've said, through the International Association of Language Commissioners. But, in looking to the future, I think it's fair to say that there is international prestige in relation to the work of language commissioners. If we look at the experience of the Commissioner of Official Languages in Canada, there is great deal of respect for the expertise that that body has. So, we, as an organisation, would like to see that pride is taken in our work as a commissioner's office, and that we're seen as part of that picture that contributes to the implementation of the 'Cymraeg 2050' strategy, and that we have so much to share with Ireland and with other nations too.

And one other thing is that we do have these international links with other nations, that we do represent Wales, that we reflect what's in the Welsh international strategy and highlight Wales, and Wales as a globally responsible nation, that we, as a commissioner's office, can represent Wales through our work and through our expertise, and that that should continue to be recognised, recognised by the Government, and that the committee, whoever the members will be in the future, should be aware of our work and what we can contribute in Ireland, but also internationally too, and also, of course, our emphasis in Wales in terms of facilitating the use of the Welsh language.

Diolch, Lowri. Séamas.

Thank you, through the Chair. In terms of my office's remit and resourcing, quickly, support has been forthcoming from the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht in terms of funding for the office and the appointment of new staff. We're going from 13 members of staff to 19 in the near future. In terms of collaboration, there's been very positive development in Northern Ireland recently, with the appointment of an Irish Language Commissioner and a commissioner for the Ulster-Scots, as well as an office for identity and cultural expression.

In terms of some of the key points that we covered earlier, going forward, the shared statement, I would be very open to an opportunity with our Welsh counterparts to contribute to the discourse on the formulation of policy and future relations going forward. As Lowri has mentioned, the International Association of Language Commissioners I think has a wealth of knowledge that we could draw on there in terms of challenges around resourcing, policy formulation, strengthening language rights, which is at the core of that association. So, I think this discussion has been very, very positive, and I think it opens new doors for specific possibilities, going forward, of strengthening our collaboration, sharing our knowledge and insights into the key aspect of our work in promoting our national languages and strengthening the language rights of those communities that we serve. So, I'd be very open to further opportunities in that space going forward. Thank you very much.

Diolch.

Thank you very much. Well, could I ask you: was there anything additional that either of you wanted to say, perhaps something you'd hoped to raise this morning that hasn't come up in the questions? It's fine if you don't have anything to say, but, if there was anything you really wanted to say in addition, you're welcome to do so.

Not from my perspective; we're just grateful for the opportunity to participate in this morning's session. I think it's been useful for us to have reviewed how we can strengthen our co-operation with the commissioner in Ireland, particularly looking forward to the conference in Galway next year, and the work that will emerge from legislative changes in both nations in relation to our languages.

Thank you, Lowri. And Séamas.

Just to reiterate, Chair and Assembly Members, thank you for this opportunity to convey matters that are very important to us in Ireland, in improving public services in Irish, in strengthening language rights, and in building on the very, very positive relationships between our two countries. I'm very confident that, going forward, there are significant opportunities for further co-operation for that key goal of meeting the contemporary needs of the language communities that we serve.

Go raibh míle, míle maith agaibh. Tá mé an-bhuíoch as an deis seo. Tá mé an-bhuíoch don Chathaoirleach agus do bhaill an choiste seo as an gcomhoibriú seo agus beidh mise agus mo fhoireann in Oifig an Choimisinéara Teanga in Éirinn ar fáil le cibé comhoibriú atá muid in ann a thabhairtl. Go raibh míle maith agaibh arís.

Thank you very much. Could I thank both of you for the evidence you've given us this morning? It has been incredibly useful to us. A transcript of what's been said will be sent to you to check that it's an accurate record, but thank you very much once again to both of you for your evidence.

Diolch yn fawr iawn.

Tá fáilte romhat.

Members, as we say goodbye to our witnesses—thank you once again—we will move on to—. Well, usually, at this point, we would be moving to looking at papers to note. We don't have any papers to note. There is a letter that has come to us, which came in a bit too late to be included in the packs, from the First Minister, explaining that she will not be available to give oral evidence to us for this inquiry, just to let you know about that.

Therefore, I propose under Standing Order 17.42(ix) to exclude the public from the rest of this meeting. Are Members content to do so? Okay. We'll wait to hear that we're in private session.