Micheál Carrigy (Fine Gael)
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I welcome everyone to the meeting. Apologies have been received from Deputy Carroll MacNeill. Deputy Joan Collins is on the meeting's call but, unfortunately, is not within Leinster House, so she will not be able to contribute. However, I have a question she would like to ask.

Before we start our business, I will read some formal notices and the Covid-19 code of conduct. All of those present in the committee room are asked to exercise personal responsibility to protect themselves and others from the risk of contracting Covid-19.

On privilege, I remind members of the constitutional requirement that they must be physically present within the confines of the place where Parliament has chosen to sit, namely, Leinster House, to participate in public meetings. I will not permit a member to participate where he or she is not adhering to this constitutional requirement. Therefore, any member who attempts to participate from outside the parliamentary precincts will be asked to leave the meeting.

For the information of the witnesses, I wish to explain some limitations to parliamentary privilege and the practice of the Houses as regards references they may make to other persons in their evidence. The evidence of witnesses physically present or who give evidence from within the parliamentary precincts is protected, pursuant to the Constitution and statute, by absolute privilege. Witnesses are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that 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 or otherwise engage in speech that might be regarded as damaging to the good name of that person or entity. Therefore, if witnesses' statements are potentially defamatory of an identifiable person or entity, they will be directed to discontinue their remarks.

It is imperative that they comply with any such direction.

Today's meeting will begin with the minutes of our previous meeting. Following that, there will be consideration of a motion regarding the summer programme 2023. The committee will then meet representatives of three parents advocacy groups. There will be a five-minute break at 12.30 p.m. and we will then meet academics working in the field of autism. At the request of the Working Group of Committee Cathaoirligh, we will endeavour to finish our full session at 2 p.m.

I will ask witnesses to confine their opening statements to a maximum of five minutes, and preferably shorter if possible. We will then have questions and answers and each member will be given five minutes for questions and reply. If there is time afterwards, members may come back in. We will be adhering to the weekly slot of speakers that was circulated in week three, which members will have in your Teams files.

The first item on the agenda is approval of the minutes from the previous meeting, and the question is that we approve the minutes of the public meeting held on 30 June 2022, revised 6 October 2022 and 18 October 2022. Is that agreed? Agreed.