Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 24 September 2014

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection

Vote 26 - Update on Pre-Budget and Policy Issues: Minister for Education and Skills

1:05 pm

Photo of Joanna TuffyJoanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the newly appointed Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, her colleague the Minister of State, Deputy Damien English and the departmental officials. I wish to draw to the attention of the Minister, the Minister of State and the officials to the fact that by virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to this committee. However, if they are directed by the committee 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 asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise nor make charges against any person, persons or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable. The opening statement submitted to the committee will be published on the committee website after this meeting. 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. Once again, I ask that everyone puts his or her mobile phone in aeroplane mode or switches it off completely. The proceedings are being broadcast today on both the UPC channel 207 and Sky channel.74.

The purpose of today's meeting is to conduct a mid-year review of the position regarding expenditure in the Department o Education and Skills for 2014, with a particular focus on performance and output related data and also to consider the Department's proposals for 2015. It is intended that this mid-year review will become an annual feature of the joint committee's ongoing scrutiny of expenditure. I welcome the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan and the Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills and at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Damien English and their officials on their first visit to the joint committee.

A timetable for today's meeting has been circulated which allows for a brief opening statement by the Minister to be followed by a discussion of each programme in the Estimate. The timetable has been agreed. I now invite the Minister to make her opening statement.

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