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

I welcome everyone to the meeting. We have received apologies from Deputies Imelda Munster, Catherine Murphy, and James O'Connor. If attending the meeting from within the committee room, members and witnesses 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 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 Sinead Foy, audit manager at the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General.

This morning we will engage with officials from the HSE and the Department of Health to examination of the following: financial statements 2021, resumed, as we have dealt with some of this at previous meetings; the Comptroller and Auditor General's special report No. 114, emergency procurement of ventilators by the HSE; Appropriation Accounts 2021; and Vote 38 - health, and subhead (e) the National Treatment Purchase Fund.

We are joined by the following officials from the HSE: Mr. Bernard Gloster, chief executive officer; Mr. Stephen Mulvany, chief financial officer; Ms Anne Marie Hoey, national director, human resources; Ms Mary Day, national director, acute operations; and Ms Martina Queally, chief officer, CHO 6, and by the following officials from the Department of Health: Mr. Derek Tierney, assistant secretary general; Ms Louise McGirr, assistant secretary general; Ms Tracey Conroy, assistant secretary general; and Mr. Kevin Coleman, principal officer. We are also joined by Mr. Sean Flood, chief executive officer, National Treatment Purchase Fund, and by Mr. Eoin Dormer, principal officer, and Mr. Evan Coady, principal officer, Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. They are all very welcome. I remind all those in attendance to ensure their mobile phones are switched off or on silent mode.

Before we start, I wish to explain some limitations to parliamentary privilege and the practice of the Houses as regards reference witnesses may make to other persons in their evidence. The evidence of witnesses physically present or who give evidence from within the parliamentary precincts is protected, pursuant to both the Constitution and statute, by absolute privilege. As witnesses 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 that they have an absolute defence against any defamation action for anything they say at the meeting. However, witnesses 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 that direction.

Members are reminded of the provisions within 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 on the Comptroller and Auditor General, Mr. Seamus McCarthy, to make his opening statement.