Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The committee is in public session. Members and witnesses are requested to turn off their mobile phones or to switch them to flight mode; not that we are taking off anywhere fancy and in fact we have a few hours of hard work ahead of us. Mobile phones interfere with the sound system and create difficulties for the parliamentary reporters, television coverage and web streaming, which may be adversely affected.

At this point in the meeting, we have come to our engagement on the home school community liaison scheme and the strengthening families programme, an evaluation of which I was very pleased to see in my own county of Kildare approximately six weeks ago. I was very impressed and could really see the excellent co-operation between the home-school liaison scheme and the strengthening families programme. As such, I thought it would be very useful in the context of the work of the joint committee to deal with this as one of our subject items. We will engage with a number of stakeholders in respect of both the scheme and the programme.

On behalf of the joint committee, I welcome Mr. Noel Kelly, director of the national educational welfare service in Tusla, accompanied by Ms Maria Tobin, integrated services manager for Tusla. I also welcome Ms Maeve McCafferty from the INTO. We also will write to the ASTI and the TUI seeking written submissions and any recommendations they have and will incorporate those into our final report. Also in attendance are Ms Aisling Browne and Ms Jenny Gannon, who are home school community liaison teachers in a junior and primary school on the same campus. They are accompanied by Ms Mary Lenihan, a former home school community liaison teacher from whose positive experience and enthusiasm Ms Browne and Ms Gannon have learned a great deal. From the Department of Education and Skills, I welcome Mr. Martin Shiel, assistant principal officer in the special education unit, and Ms Chris Kelly, assistant principal officer in the social inclusion unit. I also welcome Mr. Pádraig O'Donovan and Mr. Andy Leeson of Foróige, who will address the strengthening families programme. The format of the meeting is that I will invite brief opening statements of approximately five minutes, which time can be shared if there are two witnesses from the same body, followed by an engagement with the members. Witnesses will have an opportunity to come back and answer questions or make comments in response.

Before we begin, I draw the attention of witnesses to the fact 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 they are directed by the Chair to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and they continue to so do, they are entitled thereafter only to a 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 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. Any opening statements provided to the committee will be published on the committee website after the meeting. Members are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against persons outside the Houses or an official either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.

I invite Mr. Kelly and Ms Tobin from Tusla to make their opening statements.