Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The select committee is now in public session. I welcome the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Michael Creed. I wish him well in his new appointment and look forward to working in a constructive way with him and his officials in the coming period.

I remind members to turn off their mobile telephones as they affect the technology. 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 House or an official by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.

We are meeting to consider the Revised Estimates for the year ending 31 December 2016, Vote 30 - Agriculture Food and the Marine, referred by Dáil Éireann on 16 June. As agreed to in private session, the meeting will follow the following structure. A fixed time will be allocated to consider each programme, A to E, with the option of returning to a particular programme after each has been gone through if issues remain outstanding. This will allow members with an interest in particular programmes to schedule their time and ensure the committee gives consideration to all programmes. The timetable for the meeting has been circulated to each member. I understand the Minister will make a brief statement. I ask him to be as brief as possible and we will then get to the main points of the meeting.

Before we begin, we express some disappointment at only receiving the facts and figures within the last 24 hours, despite our having requested the information ten days ago. I mention this for future reference.