Dominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The committee agreed in private session that we will conclude this meeting at 2.50 p.m. because the new Member for Meath East, Helen McEntee, is being welcomed to the Chamber and Members need to be present for that.

On behalf of the joint committee, I welcome Mr. John Callinan, assistant secretary at the Department of the Taoiseach, who, with representatives from other Departments, will brief the committee on the national reform programme updatte for Ireland for 2013. The Government is consulting the Oireachtas on the draft document in advance of its consideration by the Cabinet and its submission to the European Commission in Brussels later in April. As the draft document was circulated by e-mail last week, I hope members have had a chance to review it. The preparation of the national reform programme is a key input for each member state as part of the annual European semester process for economic policy co-ordination. In Ireland's case, the European semester process will assume full significance upon Ireland's exit from the EU-IMF bailout programme. The national reform programmes should reflect the priorities identified in the Commission's annual growth survey, as approved by governments at the European Council summit in March, as well as the Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. The meeting is welcome in the context of the European semester process as part of the evolving engagement with national parliaments to ensure the necessary democratic accountability and legitimacy of the process.

I remind Members of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect 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. By virtue of section 17(2)(l ) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to the committee. If they are directed by it to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and continue to do so, they are entitled thereafter only to qualified privilege in respect of their evidence. They are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against a person, persons or an entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable.

I invite Mr. Callinan to address the committee.