Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

On behalf of the committee, I welcome Professor Frank Casey, consultant paediatric cardiologist and clinical professor of paediatric cardiology. Professor Casey is accompanied by Professor Paul Oslizlok, consultant paediatric cardiologist and chair of the All-Island Congenital Heart Disease Network board. I also welcome: Professor William Gallagher, co-lead of the All-Island Cancer Research Institute; Ms Siobhan Gaynor, patient advocate; Professor Owen Smith, Trinity College Dublin and Children's Health Ireland; and Professor Gerry Hanna, Trinity College Dublin and Trinity St. James's Cancer Institute. Some of the committee members had a very positive and constructive dialogue with Professor Smith as part of the North-South Inter-Parliamentary Association in Belfast last week.

The format of the meeting will be that I will invite Professors Casey, Oslizlok and Gallagher to make opening statements. This will be followed by questions from committee members. Each member will have five to seven minutes to ask questions and receive responses from the witnesses.

I remind members of their constitutional requirement that in order to participate in public meetings, members must be physically present within the confines of the Leinster House complex. Members 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. In that regard, I ask any member partaking via MS Teams that prior to making their contribution to the meeting, they confirm that they are on the grounds of the Leinster House complex.

Members and witnesses are reminded 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 that makes 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, I will direct them to discontinue their remarks. It is imperative that they comply with any such direction. As the witnesses will be aware, the committee will publish their opening statements on our website following the meeting.

MPs participating in this committee session from the jurisdiction outside the State are advised they should also be mindful of their domestic law and how it may apply to their participation in the proceedings.

With all that out of the way, I note that we have apologies from Deputy Gibney, Senator Black and Pat Cullen. I invite Professor Casey to make his opening statement.