John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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As today's meeting is a special meeting, we will deal solely with the agenda item Vote management in the HSE, particularly the situation relating to budgetary matters for 2012. I received correspondence relating to today's meeting from the HSE and there is correspondence that was received on 3 October 2012 from Mr. Ray Mitchell in the parliamentary and regulatory affairs division of the Health Service Executive reforwarding the HSE July 2012 performance report. Members have also been circulated with the replies received from the HSE following our meeting on 28 June 2012. When the proceedings commence I want to put a short statement on the record on the background to today's meeting and deal with an issue raised yesterday about the remit of the Committee of Public Accounts to review present day expenditure that has not yet been audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General.

We are now dealing with agenda item No. 3, Vote management in the HSE. Before we begin I remind members, witnesses and those in the Visitors' Gallery to turn off their mobile telephones.

The interference from mobile telephones affects the sound quality and transmission of the meeting.

I advise witnesses that they are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the evidence they are to give to the committee. If they are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and they continue to do so, they are entitled thereafter only to a qualified privilege in respect of their evidence. Witnesses are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and they are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against a Member of either House, a person outside the House or an official by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.

I remind Members of the provision within Standing Order 158 that the committee shall also refrain from inquiring into the merits of a policy or policies of the Government or a Minister of the Government or the merits or the objectives of such policies.

I welcome Dr. Ambrose McLoughlin, Secretary General, Department of Health, and invite him to introduce his officials.