Pádraig Rice (Cork South-Central, Social Democrats)

This meeting has been convened to consider the Supplementary Estimate for Vote 38 - Health. This amounts to €300 million for current expenditure and €2.1 million for capital expenditure. I welcome the Minister for Health, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, and the Ministers of State, Deputies Butler and O'Donnell. I thank them for providing the briefing on the Supplementary Estimate, which has been circulated to members in advance of the meeting.

I advise 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 if they are not adhering to this constitutional requirement. Therefore, a member who attempts to participate from outside the precincts will be asked to leave the meeting. In this regard, I ask any members participating on Microsoft Teams that they confirm they are on the grounds of the Leinster House complex prior to making a contribution.

Members 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 as to make him, her or it identifiable, or otherwise engage in speech that might be regarded as damaging to the good name of a person or entity. Therefore, if a member's statements are potentially defamatory in relation to any identifiable person or entity, they will be directed to discontinue their remarks and it is imperative that they comply with any such direction.

To commence our consideration of the Supplementary Estimate, I now invite the Minister for Health to make her opening statement. The Minister has ten minutes.