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

I welcome the witnesses from the Department of Health and the HSE who will be presenting virtually to our meeting this morning. They will provide us with a briefing on the operation of the medical card scheme. From the Department of Health we have Ms Celeste O'Callaghan, director of model of care policy, primary care policy and eligibility policy, Ms Emma-Jane Morgan, principal officer, eligibility policy unit, Mr. David Noonan, principal officer, GP services and General Medical Services, GMS, contract unit, Mr. Finian Judge, principal officer, community pharmacy, dental, optical and aural policy unit, and Dr. Dympna Kavanagh, chief dental officer; and from the HSE, Mr. Joe Ryan, national director of national services, Mr. Shaun Flanagan, assistant national director, primary care reimbursement service, Dr. Joe Green, national oral health lead in the operations unit, and Ms Kate Halliwell, head of eligibility, national medical card unit.

Before we hear the opening statements, I point out to the witnesses 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 Ms O'Callaghan to make her opening remarks.