Apologies have been received from Deputy Paul Kehoe. Members have the opportunity to attend in the committee room and they also have the opportunity to join by Microsoft Teams. I advise that as we are involved in a public meeting, they must be in their Leinster House offices. Members may not participate in the meeting from outside the parliamentary precincts. If joining by Microsoft Teams, they should please mute their microphone when not making a contribution and use the "raise hand" function to indicate. Members should note that messages sent to the meeting chat are visible to all online. Speaking slots will be prioritised for members of the committee.
Members and all attendees are asked to exercise personal responsibility when it comes to Covid-19. They are strongly advised to have good hand hygiene. We note that every second seat has been removed to accommodate social distancing. I urge members not to move their chairs from the current positions. They should also maintain appropriate social distancing levels after the meeting. Masks, preferably of medical grade, must be worn at all times during the meeting, except when speaking. I ask members for their full co-operation on this issue.