Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

On behalf of the committee, I welcome the members of the Equality Budgeting Campaign, Ms Louise Bayliss, Ms Louise Riordan and Mr. Richard Keane, and I thank them for their attendance.

We will discuss their petition calling for the introduction of equality budgeting in Ireland. The committee initially considered it at a meeting on 27 November 2013. At that point, the committee agreed to forward the petition to the Minister for Finance for consideration. Following a somewhat negative response from the Minister, the committee agreed to invite the members of the campaign to appear before it to elaborate on the petition. Members will be aware that budgetary decisions and their impact on the most vulnerable warrant close consideration before they are finalised. As a committee, we look forward to hearing the case for equality budgeting and how Departments and agencies could make greater use of internal and external policy analysis to capture the full impact of budget decisions and economic inequality. There is undoubtedly a need to conduct budgetary discussions in a more public and rational manner where key long-term data can be shared and debated.

Before we continue, I remind members and witnesses to switch their mobile phones to airplane, safe or flight mode to ensure interference with the broadcasting equipment is kept to a minimum. It is not sufficient to put the phone on silent mode.

Witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to the committee. However, if they are directed by it to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and 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 are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against a person or an entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable. Members are reminded 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.

I call Ms Bayliss to make her presentation.