Maria Bailey (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We have received apologies from Deputies Sean Fleming and John McGuinness, who are chairing other committees that are meeting at present. Apologies have also been received from Deputy Seán Crowe, who is abroad on committee business, and Deputy Michael Healy-Rae. I welcome Senator Gerry Horkan, who is attending as a substitute for the Chairman of the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach. I remind members to ensure their mobile phones are turned off or set to airplane or safe mode for the duration of the meeting. This will avoid any interference with the sound system, which is particularly desirable given that this meeting is being broadcast live on Oireachtas TV.

I welcome the Taoiseach to his first engagement with the Working Group of Committee Chairmen. We are delighted to have him here. His attendance at this morning's meeting is part of a programme of reforms arising from recommendations made by the Constitutional Convention, which was the predecessor of the current Citizens' Assembly. In its seventh report, the convention recommended three significant changes in Dáil procedure, all of which have been implemented in the current Dáil. It is widely recognised that the first of these innovations - the election of the Ceann Comhairle by means of a secret ballot - has enhanced the status and independence of the office of the Ceann Comhairle. The other two innovations - the proportionate allocation of Oireachtas committee Chairs among all parties and groups using the d'Hondt system and the introduction of a biannual engagement between the Taoiseach and the committee Chairs for the purposes of discussing matters of public policy - relate to the committee system. These welcome initiatives have further strengthened the role of the committees within the Oireachtas. The valuable work of committees allows us to explore policy in more depth by engaging with a wider sector. We engage not only with those who are accountable for implementing policies, but also and more importantly with the people who are affected by those policies, whom we have the privilege of representing.

As all the committee Chairs in this room are aware, committee work is intensive and committee remits are broad. In 2017, there were 655 committee meetings involving 2,179 witnesses. We are all aware of the enormous work that goes on in Oireachtas committees. I hope this engagement will provide a useful forum for the Taoiseach and the Chairs of the various committees to discuss the policy matters that are priorities for the committees and the legislative processes with which we are contending. I remind members again to turn off their mobile phones. I propose to proceed directly to the substantive business of the meeting. I ask the Taoiseach to make his opening statement, which will be followed by questions from the committee Chairs, whom I will call in groups of three according to the d'Hondt system.