Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We now have a quorum and the committee is in public session. Apologies have been received from Deputies Áine Collins and Anthony Lawlor. All mobile phones should be switched off as they cause interference with recording equipment in committee rooms, even when on silent mode.

This meeting has been convened to consider the Supplementary Estimate for Vote 32 - Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, which was referred by the Dáil to the committee on 3 December 2014 with an instruction to report back to the Dáil not later than 11 December 2014.

I welcome the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Richard Bruton, and his departmental officials to the meeting and thank them for the briefing material provided, which has been circulated to committee members.

Item No. 1 on the agenda is the Supplementary Estimate for Vote 32 - Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, and I propose that the committee consider the Supplementary Estimate on a subhead-by-subhead basis. I further propose that the following arrangements apply to the debate: the Minister will make a brief address to the committee, after which each of the Opposition spokespersons will have the opportunity to make a brief response, should they wish. We can then consider the Supplementary Estimate. Is that agreed? Agreed.

I remind members that, in accordance with standing orders, the discussion should be confined to the items constituting the Supplementary Estimate, and I ask members to indicate to which subhead they are referring when contributing. I invite the Minister to begin.