Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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All are very welcome to the meeting. Apologies have been received from Deputy Hourigan, who has other committee duties this morning. The Comptroller and Auditor General, Mr. Seamus McCarthy, is a permanent witness to the committee. He is attending remotely this morning but will join us in person for this afternoon's meeting.

As we return to participating in committee meetings in person, I ask members and all in attendance to exercise personal responsibility in protecting themselves and others from the risk of contracting Covid-19. They are advised to leave one vacant seat between themselves and others, to use sanitisers, etc., and to wear masks at all times except when speaking.

Members participating remotely must continue to do so from within the precincts of Leinster House due to the constitutional requirement that in order to participate in public meetings members must be physically present within the confines of the Parliament.

From this week onwards, the committee will conduct its public business on Thursdays. As is the case today, we will engage in a three-hour session on Thursday mornings, suspend for lunch at 12.30 p.m. and resume at 1.30 p.m. to deal with correspondence and other business of the committee.