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

We will now deal with No. 7, the 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts: chapter 2 - Government debt, chapter 28 - accounts of the National Treasury Management Agency, chapter 29 - clinical indemnity scheme, and the 2012 annual report and accounts of the National Pensions Reserve Fund.

I remind members, witnesses and those in the Visitors Gallery to turn off their mobile telephones because they interfere with the sound transmission. I advise witnesses that they are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the evidence they are to give to this committee.

If they are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence on 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. They are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against any person or persons or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable. Members are reminded of the provisions of Standing Order 163 that the committee should refrain from inquiring 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. John Corrigan, chief executive officer of the National Treasury Management Agency, and I invite him to introduce his colleagues.