Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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I welcome our guests. The purpose of the meeting is to hear submissions on budget 2015 from Age Action, the Disability Federation of Ireland and the Senior Citizens' Parliament. I ask the witnesses to turn off their mobile telephones or put them on safe or flight mode, otherwise they interfere with the broadcasting equipment.
I wish to draw attention to the fact that 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. If witnesses 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.

They are directed that only evidence connected to the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against a person, persons or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable. The opening statements submitted to the committee will be published on the committee's website after the meeting. Members are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice which I have just outlined.

The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the budget for 2015. We have these meetings annually and bring in different groups each year. We will not bring in the same groups we brought in for the past couple of years. This is to ensure we have a broad spread and are not meeting the same groups all the time. I welcome Mr. Eamon Timmins and Ms Naomi Feely of Age Action, Mr. John Dolan and Dr. Joanne McCarthy, who are representing the Disability Federation of Ireland, and Ms Máiread Hayes and Mr. John Walsh representing the Irish Senior Citizens' Parliament.