John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome everybody to this meeting of the Joint Committee of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, the Joint Committee on Education and Skills and the Joint Committee on Health. Colleagues with mobile telephones are asked to turn them off or to switch them to flight mode because they interfere not only with the meeting but also with the recording and the broadcasting of proceedings.

We are in an unusual setting today in that there are three joint committees meeting together, which is not the norm. This arose out of a piece of work that was being done on labour activation and we realised that some of the issues were relevant to three Departments. This is the second in a series of three meetings and the issues that are highlighted will be presented to the three Departments a few weeks hence. This committee will produce a report and make various recommendations. That is the background and the format.

Before I call the witnesses I wish to record an apology from Deputy Harty, the Chairman of the Joint Committee on Health. He is on his way from County Clare but there was a traffic accident en route that has resulted in significant delays. He was not involved in the accident but has been delayed by it. He may well join us before the meeting concludes. The Chairman of the Joint Committee on Education and Skills, Deputy O'Loughlin, is with us. She might wish to say a few words after which it will be over to our witnesses.