Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The committee is now in public session. We are joined by the Comptroller and Auditor General, Mr. Seamus McCarthy, as permanent witness to the committee. He is joined by Mary Henry, deputy director of audit. The Chairman, Deputy Sean Fleming, sends his apologies that he cannot attend today.

We will take the business of the committee at the meeting next Thursday.

Today, we will continue looking at the 2015 appropriation accounts both for the Garda Síochána and dealing specifically with the internal audit of financial procedures in the Garda College. The committee met to deal with this matter on 4 May, 31 May and 13 June. Today, the committee will engage with the Garda Commissioner, Ms Nóirín O'Sullivan, who is the Accounting Officer. The second session of the committee today will take place at 7 p.m. with the Policing Authority and the Department of Justice and Equality. The focus of today's meeting will be what has happened since 2015, the interim audit report and its implementation. As was the case at the previous meeting, I ask that members and witnesses co-operate in this regard. Representatives of the Garda Síochána present include the sole witness for this session, Ms Nóirín O'Sullivan. She is supported by the deputy commissioner in charge of governance and strategy, Mr. Dónall Ó Cualáin; Mr. John Twomey, deputy commissioner; Mr. Joseph Nugent, chief administration officer; Superintendent Marie Broderick, private secretary to the Commissioner; Inspector Darren McCarthy of the office of the Commissioner; and Mr. Andrew McAlinden, director of communications. All are very welcome. We are again joined by Ms Anne Barry of the Department of Justice and Equality.

I remind members, witnesses and those in the Visitors Gallery that all mobile phones must be switched off.

I advise the witness that by virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to the committee. However, if she is directed by it to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and continue to so do, she is entitled thereafter only to qualified privilege in respect of their evidence. The witness is 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, she should not criticise or make charges against any person or an entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable.

Members of the committee are reminded of the provisions of Standing Order 186 that the committee shall refrain from inquiring into the merits of a policy or policies of the Government or a Minister of the Government or the merits or objectives of such policies. They are also 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 Houses or an official, either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.

We are joined by the people I have mentioned. The Commissioner will be the sole witness in this session. She is supported by those around her. However, no questions will be directed at anyone other than the Commissioner. If she needs to confer with any of those with her today, she may do so in regard to answering questions but no evidence will be given by anyone other than the Commissioner. I ask the Commissioner to make her opening statement.