Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

On behalf of the committee, I welcome Mr. Jim Miley, CEO of the Irish Universities Association, IUA; Dr. Joseph Ryan, CEO of the Technological Higher Education Authority, THEA; and Professor Diarmuid Hegarty, chairman of the Higher Education Colleges Association, HECA.

The witnesses are here today to discuss the future funding of higher education. The format of the meeting is that I will invite Mr. Miley to make a brief opening statement followed by Dr. Ryan and Professor Hegarty. These will be followed by questions from members of the committee. Each member has an eight-minute slot today in which to ask the question and for the witnesses to respond. As participants are probably aware, the committee will publish the opening statements to the Oireachtas website following the meeting.

Before I begin, 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 or otherwise engage.

I also remind witnesses of the long-standing parliamentary practice that they should not criticise or make charges against any person or entity by name or in such a way as to make that him or her identifiable, or otherwise engage in speech that might be regarded as damaging to the good name of a person. Therefore, if their statements are defamatory in relation to an identifiable person or entity, I will direct witnesses to discontinue their remarks and it is imperative that they comply with any such direction.

I now ask the witnesses to make their opening statements. This is the first meeting of a new module of work that we are looking at today. We will have a number of witnesses appearing before the committee over the next number of weeks. We are discussing a very important issue.

I will now hand over to Mr. Miley followed by Dr. Ryan and Professor Hegarty.