Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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At the request of the recording and broadcasting services I ask members to ensure their mobile telephones are turned off completely. Due to an extensive private session at our meeting yesterday I intend to go straight into public session this morning. We can deal with housekeeping matters at the end of the meeting if necessary. Is that agreed? Agreed.

The first matter on our agenda is the actuarial review of the Social Insurance Fund, SIF. Members will be aware of the actuarial review of the fund which was published last June by KPMG on behalf of the Minister for Social Protection. The Minister contacted me recently to suggest that her officials might meet with this committee to discuss the review and I welcome this opportunity for them to do so. I thank the representatives of the Department for attending this meeting. I welcome Ms Mary Kennedy, principal officer for PRSI policy in the Department; Patricia Murphy, principal officer for pensions policy; Paul Morrin, principal officer, statistician; and Aideen Mooney, assistant principal officer. I also welcome Joanne Roche from KPMG.

I remind members of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the Houses or an official either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable. By virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to the committee. However, if they are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence in respect of a particular matter and they continue to do so, they are entitled thereafter only to qualified privilege in respect of their evidence. They are also directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise nor make charges against any person or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable.