A million Welsh speakers by 2050 deemed ‘impossible’

A TARGET to reach a million Welsh speakers by 2050 is “almost impossible” due to budget cuts, with demand for courses exceeding capacity, a committee heard.

Dona Lewis, chief executive of the National Centre for Learning Welsh, gave evidence to the Senedd’s culture committee as part of a one-day inquiry into post-16 Welsh provision.

Ms Lewis warned the “massive” growth the National Centre for Learning Welsh had hoped for this year will no longer be possible.

She told the committee there are waiting lists for people who want to learn Welsh, adding: “Our work has grown since the centre was established back in 2016 and funding has grown with that. But, to reach more people, clearly, more funding is needed.”

Llŷr Gruffydd warned budget pressures jeopardise the chances of meeting the target of a million Welsh speakers and doubling daily use of the language by 2050.

The Plaid Cymru MS for North Wales said: “Reaching the targets of Cymraeg 2050 was challenging already and almost impossible now.”

Mr Gruffydd suggested it is a tragedy that the National Centre for Learning Welsh cannot meet demand, saying: “There’s a risk that we’re missing out on an historic opportunity.”

The Welsh Government’s 2024-25 budget allocates £53.5m to support Welsh language spending, with a near-£3m reduction compared to last year, according to a report.

Ioan Matthews, chief executive of Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, which works with colleges, universities and employers, said further education and apprenticeships are crucial.

Dr Matthews told the committee that opportunities to study through the medium of Welsh have been few until relatively recently.

Dafydd Evans, representing Colleges Wales, welcomed a more positive approach since Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol’s remit was widened to include further education.

Pressed about whether the Cymraeg 2050 targets are realistic, Mr Evans, who is chief executive of Grŵp Llandrillo Menai, was not confident.

Mr Evans, who has worked in the sector for 30 years, said: “If we’re going to have new Welsh speakers we would need a lot more resources in the pot to reach that target.”

Dr Matthews said there has traditionally been a lack of investment but the picture is changing and he was hopeful funding will be restored next year.

Asked about the impact of the reprioritisation of the Welsh Government’s budget, he told MSS that there is a risk of losing momentum and opportunities as a result.

Dr Matthews agreed that budget pressures will make the 2050 target more challenging.