Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This select committee meeting will commence in public session. Before proceeding with the business ordered for today, I remind members and those in the Gallery that mobile telephones should be switched off completely for the duration of the meeting as they cause interference, even on silent mode, with the recording equipment in committee rooms. The purpose of today's meeting is to consider a motion referred to the select committee by Dáil Éireann on approving the terms of the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Partnership and Co-operation between the European Union and its member states, of the one part, and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, of the other part. Under the terms of the Dáil motion of 8 November 2015, the committee must consider the matter and having so done, report back to the Dáil not later than 17 December 2015.

On behalf of the select committee, I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade with responsibility for overseas development aid, trade promotion and North-South co-operation, Deputy Sherlock, who is on his own today. The format of the meeting is that members will hear an opening presentation from the Minister of State, after which we will have some questions for him. The Minister of State is welcome and is on time although he thought he might not have been because there was an accident on the motorway, albeit one in which he was not involved. Thankfully, the Minister of State is present and I invite him to make his opening statement.