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

We are meeting today to consider the Revised Estimate for Vote 32 - Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation for the year ending 31 December 2015, which was referred to the committee by an order of the Dáil on 18 December 2014. When the committee has considered the Revised Estimate this fact will be reported to the Dáil.

I welcome the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Richard Bruton, the Ministers of State, Deputies Gerald Nash and Damien English, and their officials. I thank them for the briefing documents they have supplied to the committee.

As members have seen, the 2015 Revised Estimate was presented to the Dáil in programme-based format. This means the Revised Estimate as presented contains the following information for each programme: how the money allocated to the programme is proposed to be spent and the previous year's outturn in each case; the number of staff assigned to work connected with the programme and how this compares with the previous year; performance-related information and departmental outputs with corresponding information for the previous year; and performance and impact indicators with the previous year's information also.

Administrative expenditure for the Vote as a whole is summarised in more detail than previously.

The Revised Estimate gives us an opportunity to review whether the targets set and the distribution of moneys across the Vote are appropriate in all circumstances and demonstrate the best use of resources. It also gives us an opportunity to explore issues facing the Minister in terms of the 2015 allocation to his Department.

A timetable for today's meeting has been circulated and agreed. It allows for a brief opening statement by the Minister, followed by a discussion on the 2015 Revised Estimate and questions on each programme listed therein. I invite the Minister to begin.