Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome everyone to this morning's meeting. We have received apologies from Deputy Colm Burke.

Members and witnesses attending from within the committee room are asked to exercise personal responsibility to protect themselves and others from the risk of contracting Covid-19. Members of the committee attending remotely must continue to do so from within the precincts of the Parliament due to the constitutional requirement that, in order to participate in public meetings, members must be physically present within the confines of the place where parliament has chosen to sit. The Comptroller and Auditor General, Mr. Seamus McCarthy, is a permanent witness to the committee. He is accompanied by Ms Paula O'Connor, deputy director of audit at the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General.

This morning we will engage with officials from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to examine the following: the 2021 appropriation accounts 2021 for Vote 34, Housing, Local Government, and Heritage; the Local Government Fund account 2021; and from the Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2021, Chapter 4 - re-allocation of voted funds, Chapter 6 - central government funding of local authorities, and Chapter 7 - the Housing Agency’s revolving acquisition fund.

We are joined from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage by Mr. Graham Doyle, Secretary General; Ms Caroline Timmons, assistant secretary, housing affordability, inclusion and homelessness; Mr. David Kelly, principal officer; Mr. Feargal Ó Coigligh, assistant secretary, housing policy, legislation and governance, who was here last week and is again welcome; Mr. Paul Hogan, principal adviser, planning; and Ms Sinead O'Gorman, principal officer. We are also joined by Ms Clare Costello, principal officer, from the relevant Vote section at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. They are all very welcome. I remind all those in attendance to ensure their mobile telephones are switched off or on silent.

Before we start, I wish to explain some limitations to parliamentary privilege, and the practice of the Houses as regards reference you may make to other persons in your evidence. As witnesses are within the precincts of Leinster House, they are protected by absolute privilege in respect of presentations they make to the committee. This means that they have an absolute defence against any defamation action for anything they say at the meeting. However, they are expected not to abuse this privilege and it is my duty as Cathaoirleach to ensure that this privilege is not abused. Therefore, if their statements are potentially defamatory in relation to an identifiable person or entity, they will be directed to discontinue their remarks. It is imperative that they comply with any such direction.

Members are reminded of the provisions within Standing Order 218 that the committee shall refrain from enquiring into the merits of a policy or policies of the Government, or a Minister of the Government, or the merits of the objectives of such policies. Members are also reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice 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 now call the Comptroller and Auditor General, Mr. Seamus McCarthy, for his opening statement.