Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Apologies have been received from Deputy Stanton. On the Estimates for the public services 2021, the Dáil ordered that the Revised Estimates for public services in respect of the following Votes be referred to this committee for consideration: Vote 35 - Army Pensions; and Vote 36 - Defence. Today, the committee will consider those Votes. On behalf of the committee, I welcome the Minister for Defence, Deputy Coveney, and officials from the Department of Defence, who we cannot see but who are present. I thank the officials for the briefing material received by the committee. On behalf of members, I take this opportunity to thank the Department for its engagement with us over the past while and for its prompt replies to queries and submissions on the part of members.

The committee will with deal Votes 35 and 36 under programmes A and B. At the outset of the consideration, I will invite the Minister to give an overview of the Votes, outlining any pressures likely to impact on the Department's performance or expenditure in regard to the Votes for the remainder of this year. We will take the Votes in reverse order, starting with Vote 36 and followed by Vote 35 and then the floor will be open to members for questions and observations on each programme for both Votes. I ask that members put their questions on specific programmes in order that we can progress in an orderly and efficient manner.

I remind members 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, her or it identifiable. Members have received the briefing documents on the Revised Estimates - Votes 35 and 36 - from the Department and the committee secretariat.

I invite the Minister, Deputy Coveney, to make his opening statement on these Votes.