Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Dáil on 16 June 2016 ordered that the Revised Estimates for Public Services in respect of the following Votes be referred to this committee for consideration: Vote 35 - Army Pensions, and Vote 36 - Defence. At today's meeting the select committee will consider these estimates and report back to the Dáil. I welcome the Minister of State with special responsibility for defence, Deputy Paul Kehoe. At the outset, I congratulate him on his appointment and I look forward to working closely with him over the term of the Thirty-second Dáil. I also welcome officials from the Department to today's meeting and thank them for the briefing material already supplied to us.

The proposed format of today's meeting is that we will hear brief opening remarks from the Minister of State, Deputy Kehoe, before dealing with Votes 35 and 36 on a programme basis. At the outset of consideration of each of the programmes, the Minister can give an overview of the programme, including detailing any pressures likely to have an impact on his Department's performance or expenditure relating to the programme in 2016. We will then open the floor to questions from members of the committee.

I remind members and those in the Gallery that their mobile phones should be switched off as they cause interference, even if on silent mode, with the recording equipment in committee rooms. 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 or body outside the Houses or an official either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.

I now call on the Minister of State, Deputy Kehoe, to make brief opening remarks on overall expenditure of the Department of Defence before proceeding to Votes 35 and 36.