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

Mobile phones should be switched off. For the purposes of producing the Official Report, it has been requested that members are identified when they are called to speak. Members are requested to remove their face coverings when speaking to ensure their contributions can be recorded. Those of us who do not have face coverings should not remove anything. Apologies have been received from Deputy John McGuinness. I welcome members and also viewers who may be watching our proceedings on Oireachtas TV to the public session of the Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach.

Members are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that members 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. Parliamentary privilege is considered to apply to the utterances of members participating online in a committee meeting when their participation is from within the parliamentary precincts, which is in Leinster House, in other words. In order to participate in a division in the committee, members must be physically present.

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Fleming, and his officials. Any Member substituting for a member of the committee should formally notify the clerk now. No one is substituting for a member yet. Divisions will be taken as they arise. Members must attend in person in the committee room for divisions, although they can attend the meeting remotely. Members attending this meeting in accordance with Standing Order 106(3) should be aware that they may move their amendments but cannot participate in voting on that amendment.