Chairman:

We have a quorum and are now in public session. Apologies have been received from Senator Paul Gavan. Senator Fintan Warfield may substitute for Senator Gavan. Apologies have also been received from Senator Gerald Nash. As we will have a private meeting next Tuesday to discuss correspondence received over the summer, our work programme up to the recess in December and other matters, I propose that we defer our housekeeping decisions until then. Is that agreed? Agreed.

I welcome committee members to the meeting, particularly those who, like myself, are new to the committee process. We are here today for the first meeting of the Joint Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. I welcome the members of Seanad Éireann who were appointed to this committee before the summer recess. I would also like to thank the members of the previous Oireachtas Joint Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation who worked very hard to try to balance the huge range of matters that fell within their remit.

This committee will undertake to perform its functions, as set out in Standing Orders, which are to consider and report to the Dáil on such aspects of the expenditure, administration and policy of the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and those European Union matters that fall within the Department's remit. I look forward to engaging in some very focused work in an area that is so important to Ireland's development in the coming years.

I now propose that we go into private session to consider the arrangements and format for today's meeting with the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation before returning to public session. Is that agreed? Agreed.