Ciara Conway (Waterford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I ask members and delegates to ensure their mobile phones are switched off as otherwise they cause serious problems for broadcasting, editorial and sound-recording staff.

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, and her officials, Ms Frances Spillane, Mr. Kieran Smyth and Ms Grainne Duffy. I also welcome Mr. Pat Healy, national director for social care at the Health Service Executive.

The main focus of the meeting is on providing the joint committee with an update on disability issues. It is important that we have an opportunity to engage with the Minister of State specifically on the theme of disability. In recent months the committee has done a lot of work on a range of issues in this area, including on proposals for a national vision strategy to incorporate deafblindness and community funding for people with intellectual disabilities. We are interested in receiving an update on the move away from congregated settings to more person-centred care. In our second session later today we will be meeting an umbrella group which represents different organisations that work with assistance dogs.

By virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to the committee. However, if they are directed by it to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and continue to so do, they are entitled thereafter only to qualified privilege in respect of their evidence. They are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against any person or an entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable. Members are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the Houses or an official either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.

I invite the Minister of State to make her opening statement, after which I will take questions from members.