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

As we have a quorum, we can proceed. Apologies have been received from Deputies Áine Collins and John Lyons. This meeting has been convened to consider the Credit Guarantee (Amendment) Bill 2015, referred to the select committee by order of the Dáil of 26 November 2015. I welcome the Minister of State with responsibility for business and employment, Deputy Nash, and his officials to the meeting. Before we begin, I ask members to switch their phones to safe or flight mode; it is not sufficient to put them in silent mode as that maintains the level of interference in the committee room and impacts negatively on the broadcast. Some 30 amendments have been tabled and it is proposed we will consider the Bill until we conclude Committee Stage. Is that agreed? Agreed.

A list of amendments grouped for the purposes of debate has been circulated. We will commence our consideration of the Bill. Amendments Nos. 1 and 2 are related and will be discussed together.