Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We are engaging today with officials from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to examine the 2019 Appropriation Accounts for Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine. From the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, we are joined remotely from outside the precincts of Leinster House by Mr. Brendan Gleeson, Secretary General, Dr. Kevin Smyth, assistant secretary general, Dr. Cecil Beamish, assistant secretary general, and Mr. Colm Forde, principal officer. From the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, we are joined remotely from within the precincts of Leinster House by Ms Georgina Hughes-Elders, principal officer, Agriculture, Food and the Marine Vote section and Mr. Donal Lynch, assistant principal officer, Agriculture, Food and the Marine Vote section. I welcome everyone and thank them and the staff of their Departments for the briefing material which was prepared for the committee.

When we begin to engage, I ask Members and witnesses to mute themselves when not contributing so we do not pick up background noise or feedback and, as usual, I remind all those in attendance to ensure their mobile phones are on silent mode or switched off.

Before we start, I wish to explain some limitations to parliamentary privilege, and the practice of the Houses as regards reference witnesses may make to other persons in their evidence. The evidence of witnesses physically present or who give evidence from within the parliamentary precincts is protected, pursuant to both the Constitution and statute, by absolute privilege. However, several of today’s witnesses are giving their evidence remotely, from a place outside the parliamentary precincts and, as such, may not benefit from the same level of immunity from legal proceedings as witnesses physically present. Such witnesses have already been advised that they may think it appropriate to take legal advice on this matter.

Members are reminded of the provisions within Standing Order 218 that the committee 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. Members are also reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice 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. To assist our broadcasting service and the staff of the Debates Office, I ask Members to direct their questions to specific witnesses. If the question has not been directed to a specific witness, I ask each witness to state his or her name the first time they contribute.

I call the Comptroller and Auditor General, Mr. Seamus McCarthy, to make his opening statement.