Maria Bailey (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We have a quorum and will commence in public session. At the request of the broadcasting and recording services, members are reminded to ensure their mobile telephones are turned off or switched to aeroplane, safe or flight mode, depending on their device, for the duration of the meeting. It is not sufficient to put telephones on silent mode, as that would maintain a level of interference with the broadcasting system.

I remind members that the committee will conduct the public session first and then at 11 a.m. we will go into private session for an hour to work on our report as a committee. Is that agreed? Agreed. The purpose of today's meeting is to consider the national planning framework. I welcome the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, and his officials to today's meeting.

Each member will have five minutes to engage with the Minister. After five minutes we will move to the next member and I would ask members where possible to stick to that and to respect the time so that each member has an opportunity to speak. I will call members again at the end. We will have another round of questions, if there is time. Before we begin, 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 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 to make his opening statement.