Aideen Hayden (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank our guests for joining us today. As I am sure they are aware, these proceedings are being televised. As I told previous participants, this is an evolving process and is the first time it is being done in this way. We have received submissions from the voluntary sector and civil society with a view to informing the budgetary process.

It is unusual for the committee to sit on a Friday and the guests must forgive my colleagues who are entering and leaving due to other meetings. Deputy Boyd Barrett is under pressure and will put the first questions.

Mr. Paul Ginnell is from the Community Platform, Ms Bríd O'Brien and Mr. Brendan Sherlock are from the INOU and Ms Orla O'Connor is from the National Women's Council of Ireland. I will give each group a short opportunity to tell us about its principal requests in terms of the upcoming budget. This is a budgetary process and we are the finance committee. We are not seeking large policy statements on the wider issues with which the organisations are concerned.

I invite Mr. Ginnell and ask him to be reasonably brief.