Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Deputy Martin Kenny, who replaces Deputy Carol Nolan, to the committee. I thank her for her dedication and hard work during her time on this committee. Could everyone please turn their mobile phones off or to flight mode because they interfere with the broadcasting services? In accordance with standard procedures for paperless committees agreed by the Committee on Procedures and Privileges, all documentation for the meeting has been circulated to members on the committee's document database prior to the meeting.

The Estimates were referred by the Dáil to this committee on 14 December 2017. The purpose of today's meeting of the select committee is to consider the Revised Estimates for 2018 for the Department of Rural and Community Development, amounting to €216.001 million. Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development amounts in the current year provision to €208.301 million, and by way of capital supply, unspent provisions, to €7.7 million. There are total funds of €216.001 million for the expenses of the Minister for Rural and Community Development, including certain services and for the payment of grants.

Today's select committee meeting is to examine the Revised Estimates 2018. This is an ongoing opportunity for the committee to make the process more transparent and to engage in a meaningful way on relevant performance issues. The programme-based structure of the Estimates is intended to assist the committee in focusing on what the Department is committed to achieving in respect of outputs and outcomes. I refer to considering whether the performance targets included in the Estimates are a sufficiently complete description of the services provided by the Department and whether those targets strike the right balance in terms of the needs of society. I also refer to considering whether the information provided by the Department makes clear how the moneys available are allocated between services and whether these allocations are the most appropriate in the circumstances.

I propose to use the briefing prepared by the committee staff, and previously circulated to the committee, to guide our consideration of the Revised Estimate 2018. I will refer to this briefing by page number throughout the meeting. The briefing document examines each of the Vote 42 programmes in respect of the 2018 allocations provided at subhead level and any associated high level metrics provided.

I propose to proceed programme by programme and subhead by subhead. At the outset of the consideration of each programme, I will ask the Minister of State, Deputy Kyne, to give a high level overview of the programme, including the pressures likely to impact on the Department's performance and related expenditure in respect of each programme in 2018. If having discussed the subhead within a programme detailed in the secretariat briefing and members then wish to raise issues relating to a subhead not covered in the briefing, they may do so before we move on to the next programme. Is that agreed? Agreed.