Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Pauline Tully will substitute for Deputy John Brady. On 21 November, the Dáil ordered that the Supplementary Estimates for public Services in respect to the following Votes be referred to this committee for consideration: Vote 40 - Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, and Vote 25 - Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission. At today's meeting, the select committee will consider these Supplementary Estimates and report back to the Dáil.

I remind members that only matters relevant to the Supplementary Estimates should be discussed at this meeting.

I welcome the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy Roderic O'Gorman, and the Minister of State, Deputy Anne Rabbitte, and their officials. I thank them for the briefing material that was provided to the committee in advance of the meeting.

The proposed format of the meeting is that we will invite the Minister and Minister of State to deliver an opening statement, after which we will open the debate to questions from members of the committee.

I will address the usual housekeeping matters. Members accessing the meeting through Microsoft Teams should use the chat function only to let us know of any technical or urgent matters and it should not be used to make general comments or statements. I remind members of the constitutional requirement that they must be physically present within the confines of the Leinster House complex in order to participate in public meetings. I will not permit a member to participate where he or she is not adhering to this constitutional requirement. In this regard, I ask members participating via Microsoft Teams that, prior to making their contribution to the meeting, they confirm they are on the grounds of the Leinster House campus.

With regard to parliamentary privilege, I remind Ministers and members of the long-standing parliamentary practice that they should not criticise or make charges against any person or entity by name or in such a way to make him, her or it identifiable or otherwise engage in speech that might be regarded as damaging to the good name of the person or entity. Therefore, if their statements are potentially defamatory in relation to an identifiable person or entity, they will be directed to discontinue the remarks and it is imperative that they comply with any such direction.

I invite the Minister to make his opening statement.