Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This meeting has been convened with the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Deputy Catherine Martin, and the Minister of State with responsibility for sport and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Jack Chambers, to discuss key priorities and legislation insofar as they relate to the remit of this committee, noting that matters relating to programme C - the Irish language and the Gaeltacht - now fall under the remit of the Joint Committee on the Irish Language, Gaeltacht and the Irish-speaking Community. I welcome the Minister and Minister of State and their officials to the meeting. As the Minister and Minister of State are present, it is not expected that officials will speak in this public session. I wish to advise that the opening statements and any other documents that have been submitted to the committee may be published on the committee website after this meeting.

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 Houses or an official either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable. I remind members of the constitutional requirement that members must be physically present within the confines of Leinster House in order to participate in public meetings. I will not permit a member to attend where he or she is not adhering to this constitutional requirement. Therefore, any member who attempts to attend from outside the precincts will be asked to leave the meeting. Those attending in the committee room are asked to exercise personal responsibility to protect themselves and others from the risk of contracting Covid-19 and to kindly note that face masks are encouraged in crowded settings on campus. Members who may be joining the meeting via Microsoft Teams are asked to identify themselves when contributing for the benefit of Debates Office staff preparing the Official Report, to mute their microphones when not contributing to reduce background noise and feedback and to use the button to raise their hands to contribute. I remind all those joining today's meeting to ensure their mobile phones are in silent mode or switched. I invite the Minister to make her opening statement.