Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The purpose of today's public session is to receive an update from the Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, on its gender budgeting report due to be published shortly. Our committee produced a report on gender budgeting this year and the ESRI worked with the Parliamentary Budget Office, PBO, on this project. It is an important practical step in progressing gender budgeting.

Before we begin, I remind members and witnesses to turn off mobile phones. Mobile phones interfere with the transmission of these proceedings and we would appreciate it if they are turned off.

I welcome Dr. Claire Keane, senior research officer with the ESRI. Dr. Keane is accompanied by Mr. Barra Roantree, research officer with the ESRI. I thank them for making themselves available to the committee today; we very much appreciate it.

I draw witnesses' attention to the issue of privilege. I wish to advise them that by virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to the committee. However, if they are directed by it to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and they continue to so do, 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 long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they 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 or her identifiable.

With that bit of housekeeping over, I invite Dr. Keane to make her opening statement.