Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Simon Coveney and his officials. I thank the officials for the briefing material. I advise members, the Minister and officials that they must turn off their mobile telephones.

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

The administrative expenditure for the Vote as a whole is summarised in more detail than previously. The Revised Estimate gives the select committee an opportunity to review whether targets set and the distribution of moneys across the Vote for 2015 are appropriate in all the circumstances and demonstrate the best use of the resource. It also gives us an opportunity to explore issues facing the Minister in terms of the 2015 allocation for his Department.

I propose that following the Minister's opening statement, we will consider the Revised Estimate subhead by subhead and take questions from members.