Apologies have been received from the following Deputies: Stephen Donnelly, Pearse Doherty and Lisa Chambers as well as from the Chairman, who is unable to attend today.
I will go through the agenda for today's meeting. Are the minutes of the meeting of 8 March 2017 agreed? Agreed. Are there any matters arising? No.
Next on the agenda is the work programme agreed at the meeting of 8 February. If any member has a suggestion for changes to the programme, please contact the clerk.
The next item is correspondence received. The list has been circulated. There is correspondence from the Equality and Rights Alliance and from the Environmental Pillar. It is proposed that we invite the groups before the committee as part of the scrutiny process for budget 2018. Is that agreed? Agreed. Another item of correspondence is from the Department of Health in reply to the committee's letter regarding the increase in the costs of the national paediatric hospital. It is proposed that we review the matter when the full reply comes to hand, in particular in respect of the issue of building costs inflation of 9%. We can take up that issue next week with the Construction Industry Federation. This will have implications for the capital budget. Members may also raise the matter today in our interaction with Transport Infrastructure Ireland. Is there any other business before we bring in the witnesses?
