Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the witnesses from the Department of Health, the Covid-19 nursing home expert panel; the HSE and the Health Information and Quality Authority, HIQA, who will be presenting virtually to the meeting. They will provide us with a briefing on nursing home regulation and the development of a new model of care for older people.

I welcome from the Covid-19 nursing home expert panel, Professor Cecily Kelleher, chair both of the panel and of the reference group and professor of public health medicine and epidemiology at University College Dublin, UCD; from the Department of Health, Dr. Kathleen MacLellan, assistant secretary in the social care division, and Mr. Niall Redmond, principal officer, older person policy development, and Ms Sarah Cooney, principal officer, older person policy reform; from the HSE, Ms Yvonne O'Neill, interim director of community operations; and from HIQA, Mr. Phelim Quinn, CEO, Ms Mary Dunnion, chief inspector and director of regulation, Ms Susan Cliffe, deputy chief inspector for older persons, and Mr. Finbarr Colfer, deputy chief inspector for disability services.

Before we hear the opening statements, I point out to the witnesses that there is uncertainty as to whether parliamentary privilege applies to evidence given from a location outside the parliamentary precincts of Leinster House. If, therefore, witnesses are directed by me to cease giving evidence in respect of a particular matter, they must respect that direction.

I invite Dr. MacLellan to make her opening remarks.