Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome everyone to the meeting. If attending the meeting from within the committee room, members and witnesses are asked to exercise personal responsibility to protect themselves and others from the risk of contracting Covid-19. Members of the committee attending remotely must do so from within the precincts of the Parliament. This is due to the constitutional requirement that, to participate in public meetings, members must be physically present within the confines of the place where Parliament has chosen to sit.

The Comptroller and Auditor General, Mr. Seamus McCarthy, is a permanent witness to the committee. He is accompanied this morning by Mr. Paul Southern, deputy director of audit at the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General.

This morning, we will engage with officials from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to examine the following matters: Appropriation Accounts 2021, Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine; and the 2021 Financial Statements for fishery harbour centres. We are joined by the following officials from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, which has a full team: Mr. Brendan Gleeson, Secretary General; Mr. Bill Callanan, assistant secretary; Mr. Colm Hayes, assistant secretary; Ms June Fanning, deputy Chief Veterinary Officer; Ms Roni Hawe, principal officer; and Ms Caroline Ball, principal officer.

We are also joined from the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications by Mr. Marc Kierans, principal officer, and Mr. Gerry Glabby, principal officer; and from the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform by Ms Georgina Hughes–Elders, principal officer. They are all very welcome. I remind all those in attendance to ensure their mobile phones are switched off or on silent mode.

Before we start, I wish to explain some limitations to parliamentary privilege and the practice of the Houses as regards reference witnesses may make to other persons in their evidence. The evidence of witnesses physically present or who give evidence from within the parliamentary precincts is protected, pursuant to both the Constitution and statute, by absolute privilege.

As witnesses are within the precincts of Leinster House, they are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the presentations they make to the committee. This means that they have an absolute defence against any defamation action for anything they say at the meeting. However, witnesses are expected not to abuse this privilege and it is my duty as Cathaoirleach to ensure that this privilege is not abused. Therefore, if their statements are potentially defamatory in relation to an identifiable person or entity, they will be directed to discontinue your remarks. It is imperative that they comply with that direction.

Members are reminded of the provisions within Standing Order 218 that the committee shall refrain from enquiring into the merits of a policy or policies of the Government, or a Minister of the Government, or the merits of the objectives of such policies. Members are also reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice that they should not comment on, criticise, or make charges against a person outside the Houses or an official either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.

Before we move to opening statements, Mr. Gleeson is welcome back to the committee. He was here last year on 21 April as I recall it. In preparation for this meeting, the committee requested information from him, as Accounting Officer for the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine, with regard to value for money. This was so the committee can assess whether he can demonstrate that value for money has been achieved in the accounts under his responsibility.

The committee’s request sets out eight questions, but Mr. Gleeson's initial response only provided answers to questions nos. 1 to 4, and further briefing with additional information was only received late yesterday afternoon after 4 p.m. Furthermore, the committee requested an update with regard to this committee’s recommendations in its report, Examination of the 2019 Appropriation Account for Vote 30 – Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and Related Financial Matters. This information was requested to be submitted last Friday but was only received yesterday afternoon. As Mr. Gleeson can appreciate, the late submission of briefing material leaves us little time to analyse it and prepare for today’s engagement. I note that he was advised by the secretariat of the committee’s intention to engage with him today. A note went out to him on 29 March and a formal invitation and request for information on value for money and previous recommendations was issued on 3 April. That is reasonable and sufficient notice. I would be grateful if he could explain to us what happened and why there was a late submission of the value for money and additional information we requested.