Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We have a quorum. I remind members to switch off their mobile phones as they interfere with the sound system. Members are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that members should comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the Houses or an official either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.

I welcome the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment and his officials - Martin Finucane, Kevin O'Donoghue, Jim Whelan and Ken Cleary. We are meeting to consider Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment, a further Revised Estimate referred by Dáil Éireann to this committee on 15 November 2016. I invite the Minister to give a brief overview of the Estimate to be followed by a question and answer session.