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

We are back in public session. I again remind members and witnesses to turn off their mobile telephones. I welcome the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council, IFAC, to the meeting. It is always a pleasure to engage with its members and we are very interested in today's session. I welcome Mr. Seamus Coffey, chairman, who is accompanied by Dr. Martina Lawless, Mr. Michael Tutty and Dr. Eddie Casey. We are meeting IFAC to consider input into our pre-budget report and we thank Mr. Coffey and his colleagues for making themselves available to the committee. This was at short notice so we appreciate that they were able to facilitate us by attending today. We are in preparation for budget 2020, which is particularly challenging due to Brexit issues, as everybody is aware. Our regular engagement with IFAC is a key part of the scrutiny in the build-up to the budget.

Before I invite Mr. Coffey to make his opening statement, I advise witnesses that, by virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, they 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 do so, they are entitled thereafter only to qualified privilege in respect of their evidence. They are directed that only evidence connected to 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 entity either 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.

I remind members that the normal practice of the committee is to take members in the order in which they indicate. We will have an opening round in which members will have approximately four minutes each to ask questions and receive replies. When we conclude the initial round, we will return to members if they wish to put follow-up questions. I ask Mr. Coffey to make his opening statement.