Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I welcome members and witnesses to this afternoon's meeting. We are joined today by Mr. John Hennessy, who is the national primary care director of the HSE; Ms Anne Marie Hoey, who is the assistant national director in primary care reimbursement and eligibility in the Primary Care Reimbursement Service; Ms Siobhán McArdle, who is the operations manager in the Primary Care Reimbursement Service; Mr. Kieran Healy, who is the head of customer service in the Primary Care Reimbursement Service; and Mr. Ray Mitchell of the parliamentary affairs liaison division of the HSE. I thank Mr. Mitchell for all the work he has done in liaising with the committee during the 2015 calendar year. This is not our last meeting of the year, as we will have another one tomorrow. Mr. Mitchell is always available to the committee to help to co-ordinate our meetings.

This afternoon, we will consider developments in the administration of the medical card service over the past year. I welcome Ms Anne Marie Hoey, who has taken up her duties in the role previously held by Mr. Paddy Burke. I thank her for being in attendance this afternoon. We had hoped to have this meeting earlier, but there was a mix-up with the dates. That has been rectified today.

I wish to advise witnesses that by virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, they are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the evidence they are to give this committee. If they are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence in relation to a particular matter and they continue to so do, they are entitled thereafter only to a qualified privilege in respect of their evidence. They are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given. They are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against any person or persons or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable. Members of the committee are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice and rulings of the Chair to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person or persons outside the House or an official either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable. I invite Ms Hoey to make her opening remarks.