Our committee's focus on reform of the budget process is on making recommendations to improve accountability, effectiveness and efficiency. Therefore, our meeting today is a useful opportunity to examine the format and existing process for performance-based budgeting and to see whether it meets the needs of Parliament and the public at large. Following our meeting today, the committee may wish to write to the Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform with recommendations on further improvements to the budget process.

If members and witnesses will bear with me, I will deal with privilege. Before we hear the witnesses' opening statement, I want to draw attention to the position of privilege which applies to officials who may contribute to the meeting. Witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of evidence they give to the committee. However, if you are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and you continue to do so you are entitled thereafter only to qualified privilege in respect of your evidence. You are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and you are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the fact that, where possible, you should not criticise or make charges against any persons or entity by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.

Members are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that members 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 her identifiable.

With that, I invite Mr. Kinnane to make his opening statement.