Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We will deal with the Comptroller and Auditor General's special report first and will deal with the other business of the committee later. We are joined by the Comptroller and Auditor General, Mr. Seamus McCarthy, who is the permanent witness to the committee. He is accompanied by Mr. Andrew Harkness, director of audit. There will be two parts to our consideration of this report. In the first part we will discuss the findings of the report with representatives from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, and as they come in for particular mention in the report, we will meet representatives of the Central Bank for the second part.

I welcome Mr. Robert Watt, Secretary General of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, who is accompanied today by Mr. Frank Griffin and Mr. Kevin Coman, both of whom work in the remuneration, industrial relations and pensions division, and Ms Helen Codd from the corporate support unit.

I remind members, witnesses and those in the Public Gallery that all mobile phones should be switched off. I advise witnesses that by virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, they are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to this committee. However, if they are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and they continue to do so, they are entitled thereafter only to qualified privilege in respect of that evidence. They are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and they are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against any person, persons or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable. Members are reminded of the long-standing ruling of the Chair 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.

I invite the Comptroller and Auditor General to make an opening statement on his report on the management of severance payments in public sector bodies. I should point out that the Comptroller and Auditor General is also accompanied by Ms Patricia Devlin. Apologies, that was my mistake.