Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

We have a quorum so we will go straight into public session. I apologise for being slightly late. I thought we were sitting in the Dáil Chamber but it became apparent that we were not.

We have been notified that Deputies Holly Cairns, Cormac Devlin, Paul McAuliffe, Jennifer Murnane O'Connor, Padraig O'Sullivan, Carol Nolan, Bernard Durkan and James Lawless will be substituting for colleagues today.

I take the items of correspondence received as noted with the exception of that from the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly. The Minister has indicated that he and the acting CMO, Dr. Ronan Glynn, are not in a position to attend today's meeting. However, the Minister has indicated to me privately that they are in a position to make themselves available to the committee next week. Does the committee wish to discuss this at the end of today's meeting? I asked the Minister if he was available the following week but I did not receive a reply. Will we discuss this at the end of today's meeting or will we instruct the secretariat to at least ascertain, perhaps before close of business today, what day he would be available next week or whether he is available the following week?