Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I remind committee members to turn off mobile telephones. I thank members for their attendance and participation. We are meeting to consider the Revised Estimate, Vote 40 - Children and Youth Affairs for the year ending December 2015. The format in which the Estimates are considered allows us to consider how moneys are allocated to each programme, how moneys are allocated between services and to focus on many aspects of the Department's work. There will be no division and no officials will speak, only the Minister, for the purposes of the meeting. I welcome the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. I welcome and congratulate Mr. Fergal Lynch, the Secretary General of the Department of Children And Youth Affairs and I welcome Mr. Dermot Ryan, assistant secretary, Ms. Mary McLaughlin, assistant secretary, Mr. Paul Fay and Mr. Ger Banville, all from the Department.

This is a select committee of the Dáil and we will discuss only Vote 40. The 2015 Revised Estimates were presented to the Dáil in a new programme-based format. This means the Estimates contain the following information for each programme - how the money allocated to the programme is proposed to be spent alongside how it was spent in previous years, and the outturn in each case, the number of staff assigned to work with programmes and how this compares with the previous year, performance-related information, meaning performance indicators are presented alongside financial data for the current year. Finally, administrative expenditure for the Vote as a whole is summarised in more detail than was the case. The Minister will speak first, followed by Opposition spokespersons and then members of the committee. I ask members to ask questions rather than make Second Stage speeches.