Chairman:

I welcome the witnesses from the community health care organisations, including Mr. John Hayes, chief officer, and Mr. Padraig O'Beirne, area director of nursing for Cavan-Monaghan mental health service, from CHO area 1; Mr. Tony Canavan, chief officer, and Mr. Liam Fogarty, head of finance, from CHO area 2; and Mr. Bernard Gloster, chief officer, Dr. John O'Mahoney, executive clinical director, and Ms Niamh Doodey, business manager, from CHO area 3. On behalf of the committee, I thank them for attending the meeting today. The format of the meeting is that each chief officer will be invited to make a brief opening statement which will be followed by questions and answers.

Before beginning, I draw the witnesses' attention to privilege. Witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to the committee. However, if they are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and they continue to so do, they are entitled thereafter only to 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 and 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 an entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable.

I remind members to turn off their mobile telephones or to switch them to flight mode as mobile telephones interfere with the sound system and make it difficult for parliamentary reporters to report the meeting. In addition, television coverage and web streaming would be adversely affected.

Any submission or opening statement made to the committee will be published on the committee website after this meeting. I invite each of the chief officers to make their opening statement.