Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome members and viewers of Oireachtas TV to today's second public session of the Oireachtas Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach. Members are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the House or an official either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable. I also remind members of the constitutional requirement that they be physically present within the confines of the place in which Parliament has chosen to sit, namely, Leinster House, Dublin, to participate in public proceedings. I will not permit a member to participate where he or she is not adhering to this constitutional requirement.

We have before us the Revised Estimates for Public Services 2022 for the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Patrick O'Donovan and his officials. Members will have received the briefing document provided by the Department that was circulated in advance of this meeting. The purpose of this meeting is to consider the Revised Estimates and performance information regarding the outputs and impacts of programme expenditure. The programme-based structure of the Estimates should allow the committee to focus on what the OPW is committed to achieving in terms of actual outputs and outcomes; to consider whether the performance targets included in the Estimates are a sufficiently complete description of the service provided by the OPW; to determine whether those targets strike the right balance in terms of the needs of society; to consider whether the information provided by the Department makes clear how the moneys available are allocated between services; and to consider whether these allocations are the most appropriate in the circumstances.

I call the Minister of State to make his opening statement.