Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Apologies have been received from Deputy Burton. I remind members and witnesses to turn off their mobile phones because their interference affects the quality of the sound recording. The committee will proceed in public session before moving to private session after our meeting with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, or in a break which we may have during our meeting with the Minister, depending on time.

I welcome the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, who is accompanied by Mr. John McCarthy, assistant secretary at the Department of Finance, Mr. Brendan O'Leary, assistant principal at the Department of Finance, Mr. Ronnie Downes, assistant secretary at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, and Mr. John Kinnane, principal officer at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. I thank the Minister for accommodating our request for an early meeting and I appreciate the work of his office in arranging it.

The purpose of the meeting is to discuss some key issues, which I ask that we focus on due to time. They are the committee's engagement on 15 December 2018 with the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council on its fiscal assessment report of November 2018, Brexit and the fiscal budgetary impact, and the committee's engagement on 11 December 2018 with the Department of Health on the issue of the significant overruns in the health budget. On the final issue, we should note that we had requested a meeting with officials from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform but it was declined. As I said, I ask members to try to stick to those three key areas in order that we can make the best use of time.

By virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the evidence they are to give to the committee. If, however, they are directed by it to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and 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 are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against any person or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable.

Members are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the House or an official either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.

I invite the Minister to make his opening statement.