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

The committee is in public session. I welcome everyone to today's 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. Members of the committee attending remotely must do so from within the precincts of Leinster House. This is due to the constitutional requirement that in order to participate in public meetings, members must be physically present within the confines of the Parliament.

The Comptroller and Auditor General, Mr. Seamus McCarthy, is a permanent witness to the committee. He is accompanied this morning by Mr. Ciaran Crowe, audit manager at the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General. This morning we will engage with officials from the State Claims Agency to examine the 2021 Financial Statements of the State Claims Agency and Chapter 20: Management of the Clinical Indemnity Scheme of the Report on the Accounts of Public Services 2021. We are joined by the following officials from the State Claims Agency: Mr. Ciarán Breen, director; Mr. Cathal O'Keefe, head of clinical risk; and Ms Catherine Tarrant, executive head of claims clinical indemnity scheme. We are also joined from the Department of Health by Mr. Greg Dempsey, deputy Secretary General; and from the HSE, Ms Mairead Dolan, interim chief financial officer; and Ms Orla Healy, national clinical director quality and patient safety. Apologies have been received from Deputy Verona Murphy.

I wish the Department of Health and HSE representatives well in getting Wexford General Hospital back on track. Obviously, what has happened is a catastrophe, with capacity gone from the system, but good work was done. There were no injuries or lives lost, which is the main thing. I wish everybody well in getting the facility back up and running again.

All are very welcome. I remind all those in attendance to ensure their mobile phones are on silent or switched off. I will explain some limitations to parliamentary privilege and the practice of the Houses as regards references witnesses may make to other persons in their evidence. As they are within the precincts of Leinster House, they are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the presentations they make to the committee. This means 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 it 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.

Members are reminded of the provision of Standing Order 218 that the committee shall refrain from inquiring 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 House, or an official, either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.

I call Mr. McCarthy to make his opening statement.