Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 20 June 2019

Public Accounts Committee

2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine

9:00 am

Photo of Seán FlemingSeán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We meet to discuss the 2017 appropriation account for Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine. From the Department, we are joined by its Secretary General, Mr. Brendan Gleeson, Dr. Cecil Beamish, Mr. Martin Crowley, Ms Patricia Heeney and Mr. Paul Dillon. We are also joined by Ms Georgina Hughes Elders from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. I remind members, witnesses and those in the Public Gallery to turn their phones off entirely or setting them to airplane mode. Merely putting them on silent will interfere with the broadcast system.

I draw the attention of witnesses to the fact 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 the committee to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and they continue to so do, they are entitled thereafter only to a 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 they are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against any person, persons or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable.

Members are reminded of the provisions of Standing Order 186 that committee members shall refrain from inquiring into the merits of a policy or policies of the Government or a Minister of the Government or the merits of the objectives of such policies. While we expect witnesses to answer questions asked by the committee clearly and with candour, witnesses can and should expect to be treated fairly and with respect and consideration at all times in accordance with the witness protocol.

Before I call the Comptroller and Auditor General, I wish to point out that the meeting will also deal with the fishery harbour centres' accounts for 2016 and 2017, the European Agriculture Guarantee Fund, the European Agriculture Fund for Rural Development and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund.

I apologise to Mr. Gleeson and his colleagues for the late start but we had to deal with a large amount of correspondence which was held over from the Department of Finance and the Minister for Finance which I wanted to clear today. However, it took some time. I am conscious that Mr. Gleeson has a flight to catch in the afternoon and the committee will ensure he does not miss it on its account.

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