, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Wales-Ireland relations: evidence session with Members of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly
Okay, thank you. Thanks very much.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Wales-Ireland relations: evidence session with Members of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly
Okay. So, you're having the conversation at the moment. I don't want to press you too hard on that, because I recognise that live conversations are taking place and it would be difficult for you to describe in detail what those conversations are—I accept…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Wales-Ireland relations: evidence session with Members of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly
I very much endorse that. I think it's a very strong rationale for what we're looking at. In previous answers, I think you mentioned that BIPA might be looking at expanding its work from four committees to six, I think you said. I was just wondering which…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Wales-Ireland relations: evidence session with Members of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly
I'm very interested by that, Karen. The visit that this committee undertook to Dublin last week was to look at how we can deepen and strengthen links between Wales and Ireland, and to hold the Welsh Government to account as to what it's doing. And part of the…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Wales-Ireland relations: evidence session with Members of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly
Yes, I think that's a really important statement, Karen. As somebody who's attended the BIC in the past, we have quite often been looking around for something to discuss. We've turned up, had dinner, and read lines to take at each other, and then had lunch…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Wales-Ireland relations: evidence session with the Cherish Project
Okay, right. I'm grateful to you for that. My assumption was that you would also have said capacity in a sort of softer way, so providing help and support and ensuring that Visit Wales actually provides an infrastructure as well, or helps support the…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Wales-Ireland relations: evidence session with the Cherish Project
Okay. And what's the sort of quantum that you're talking about here, because you've used very small sums in your evidence this morning?
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Wales-Ireland relations: evidence session with the Cherish Project
What can the Welsh Government do? It's simply money, is it?
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Wales-Ireland relations: evidence session with the Cherish Project
But I go back to my question.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Wales-Ireland relations: evidence session with the Cherish Project
Okay, I understand all of that.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Wales-Ireland relations: evidence session with the Cherish Project
Yes, but it's public funding.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Wales-Ireland relations: evidence session with the Cherish Project
Public funding.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Wales-Ireland relations: evidence session with the Cherish Project
But Horizon and INTERREG were Government funding, so—
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Wales-Ireland relations: evidence session with the Cherish Project
So, what can the Welsh Government be doing?
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Wales-Ireland relations: evidence session with the Cherish Project
Yes. I find this fascinating, sorry,—
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Wales-Ireland relations: evidence session with the Cherish Project
But, to be fair, why should Carmarthenshire worry about what's going on in Pembrokeshire and the other way around?
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Wales-Ireland relations: evidence session with the Cherish Project
Everybody make positive noises at lauches, but—
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Wales-Ireland relations: evidence session with the Cherish Project
Sorry, I'm going to stop you there. Our experience of local authorities is they do not provide that continuity. They look after their own areas, but they don't provide the wider, national view.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Wales-Ireland relations: evidence session with the Cherish Project
Yes, just to pursue that, because I think, in many ways, Carolyn and I are thinking along the same lines in terms of how you rescue this from the fire, in many ways. We were in Dublin last week and we heard evidence from a number of different sources that…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Wales-Ireland relations: evidence session with the Cherish Project
Well, for £6,000 I wouldn't expect it—. [Laughter.] Turning up is enough, you know, so—. How come you get so little? I find that extraordinary.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Wales-Ireland relations: evidence session with the Cherish Project
Put it in the title to have solved the problem.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Wales-Ireland relations: evidence session with the Cherish Project
It's one of their buzz words.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Wales-Ireland relations: evidence session with the Cherish Project
Innovation, I assume.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Wales-Ireland relations: evidence session with the Cherish Project
I assume that's led by Government funding strategies and programmes and frameworks.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Wales-Ireland relations: evidence session with the Cherish Project
Sorry, but can I stop you there?
