Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I have received apologies from Deputies Anthony Lawlor and John Lyons. I remind members, visitors and people in the Gallery to ensure their mobile telephones are switched off for the duration of the meeting as they interfere with the broadcasting equipment even when in silent mode.

This meeting has been convened to consider the Supplementary Estimates for Vote 32 - Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, which were referred to the select sub-committee by the Dáil on 19 November with an instruction to report back to the Dáil not later than 9 December 2015. I welcome the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Richard Bruton, and his officials and thank them for the briefing material that was provided. It has been circulated to the members of the committee. Based on this information, the secretariat has prepared a briefing document which has been circulated to members and to the Department. Is it agreed that the meeting should follow the structure in the briefing document? Agreed.

I propose that the following arrangements apply to the debate. The Minister will make a brief address to the committee, after which each of the opposition spokespersons will have an opportunity to make a brief response if they wish. We can then consider the Supplementary Estimates. Is that agreed? Agreed.

I remind members that in accordance with Standing Orders discussion should be confined to the items constituting the Supplementary Estimates, which are: subhead A.5 - IDA Ireland; subhead B.4 - science and technology programme; subhead B.5 - programme for research in third level institutions. I ask members to indicate the subhead to which they are referring when contributing.

I invite the Minister to make his address.