Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ross, and his officials. Apologies have been received from Deputy Catherine Murphy. I remind members to switch off their mobile phones completely for the duration of the meeting as they cause interference with the broadcasting and recording systems in committee rooms, even when left in silent mode.

This meeting has been convened to consider the Supplementary Estimate for Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport, which was referred by the Dáil to the committee on 21 November 2018 with an instruction to report back to the Dáil not later than 12 December 2018.

I welcome the Minister to discuss the Supplementary Estimate. I also welcome officials from the Department and thank them for the brief we have been given. The format is that the Minister will make a statement and then members, who indicate and want to speak, can comment on the Minister's statement and question him on that. We will then consider the Estimate. Is that agreed? Agreed. I remind members that, in accordance with Standing Orders, the discussion should be confined to the items constituting the Supplementary Estimate. I call the Minister.