John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We are dealing with No. 7, the 2011 annual report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and appropriation accounts: Vote 7 - superannuation and retired allowances, Vote 42 - Office of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, chapter 6 - financial commitments under public private partnerships, chapter 12 - Vote accounting, and chapter 13 - procurement without a competitive process.

Before we begin, I remind members, witnesses and those in the Gallery to turn off their mobile telephones. I advise witnesses that they are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the evidence they are to give this committee. If they are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence in relation to a particular matter and they continue to so do, 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 they are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise nor make charges against a Member of either House, a person outside the House, or an official, by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.

Members are reminded of the provisions within Standing Order 163 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. I welcome, Mr. Robert Watt, Secretary General, Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. I ask him to introduce his officials.