Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We resume in public session. There will be two sessions today, the first of which is to examine and discuss with officials from the Department of Finance and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Chapter 5 of the Comptroller and Auditor General's 2016 report on fiscal transparency.

In our second session we will examine matters relating specifically to the Department of Finance with officials from that Department, from which we are joined by Mr. Derek Moran, Secretary General; Mr. John McCarthy, Mr. Gary Tobin, Ms Mary McSharry and Mr. Fiachra Quinlan. From the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform we are joined by Mr. William Beausang, Mr. Brian O’Malley and Ms Vicki Cahill. They are all most welcome.

By virtue of section 17(2)(I) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to the committee. If they are directed by it to cease giving evidence no a particular matter and continue to do so, 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 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.

Members are reminded of the provisions within 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 of the objectives of such policy or policies.

I call on the Comptroller and Auditor General to make his opening statement.