Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We will continue our discussion about the consideration of the financial statements relating to the education and training board sector. In this session we are joined by the City of Dublin ETB and Kilkenny and Carlow ETB to discuss their 2015 and 2016 financial statements, respectively. I welcome from the City of Dublin ETB Paddy Bourke, chairperson, Carol Hanney, chief executive, Aideen O'Riordan, director and head of finance, and Alan Murphy, head of SUSI. From Kilkenny and Carlow ETB we are joined by Councillor Peter Cleere, chairman, Cynthia Deane, chief executive, Linda O'Brien, head of finance, Eileen Curtis, director of schools, and Liam Scott, director of organisation. We also continue to have representatives from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, SOLAS and the Department of Education and Skills for this session, and I am sure there will be also some questions for that group.

I remind members, witnesses and those in the Public Gallery to turn off their mobile phones. I mentioned that earlier this morning.

I want to advise witnesses, because they are new here, that by virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, they are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to the committee. If they are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and they continue to do so, they are entitled thereafter to only qualified privilege in respect of that 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 or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable.

Our lead speaker for this session will be Deputy Noel Rock, but we must complete the last bit of the session before lunch. We will go on to the main session in a moment.

Deputy Alan Kelly had one final question to put-----