Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, and her officials. During the summer months the Department of Justice and Equality provided briefing material on the Estimates. It was circulated to members in advance of the meeting, the purpose of which is to consider the performance of the Department in the light of information supplied. Specifically, the briefing material is intended to help the joint committee in considering the performance of the Department measured against its own output targets, whether emerging pressures are likely to impact significantly on its performance and spending in the remainder of the year, whether there is likely to be a significant underspend or overspend before year end and whether any significant policy decision taken this year will impact on the 2017 Estimates for the Department.

The format of the meeting is that the Minister will be invited to make a brief opening statement which will be followed by a question and answer session. Witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the evidence they are to give to the committee. However, if they are directed by it to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and continue to so do, they are entitled thereafter only to qualified privilege in respect of their evidence. They are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against a person or an entity, either by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable. Members should aware that under the salient rulings of the Chair, they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the Houses or an official, by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.

I invite the Tánaiste to make her opening statement.