Michael Harty (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is proposed to leave housekeeping matters to our meeting on 18 April? Is that agreed? Agreed.

The purpose of this meeting is scrutiny of the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on health technology assessment and amending Directive 2011/24/EU with representatives of the Department of Health, the Health Information and Quality Authority and from the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics. As we are obliged to vacate this room at 1.15 p.m. I ask members to put questions that are succinct.

On behalf of the committee, I welcome Dr. Kathleen MacLellan, Mr. Finian Judge and Ms Laura Nagle from the Department of Health; Dr Máirin Ryan and Dr. Conor Teljeur, from the Health Information and Quality Authority; and Dr. Lesley Tilson and Dr. Emer Fogarty from the National Centre of Pharmacoeconomics. Before we begin, I draw witnesses' attention to the fact that by virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, they are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the evidence they are to give to the committee. However, if they are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and they continue to so do, they are entitled thereafter only to 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 or an entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable. I also advise the witnesses that their opening statements may be published on the committee's website following this meeting. 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.

Before I invite the witnesses to make their opening statements, I am aware that France and Poland consider that the proposed regulations do not comply with the principle of subsidiarity and that Germany has some concerns about the proposal. I now invite Dr. MacLellan to make her opening statement.