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

We have a quorum. Apologies have been received from Deputy Charlie McConalogue.

I shall now discuss arrangements for this meeting. To facilitate the attendance of our witness today, I propose we remain in public session to consider the issue of higher and further education grants. I make the proposal because the speaker from the Department of Education and Skills must leave at 2.30 p.m. in order to speak at a high level meeting in Vienna on behalf of his Department. It is an EU meeting and he needs to leave at 2.30 p.m. Therefore, I suggest we discuss private business after the meeting.