Apologies have been received from Deputies Joan Collins and Marc Ó Cathasaigh, and from Senators Róisín Garvey and Catherine Ardagh.
Before we start our business, I will read some formal notices. All those present in the room are asked to exercise personal responsibility to protect themselves and others from the risk of contracting Covid-19. I remind members of the constitutional requirement that members must be physically present within the confines of the place where Parliament has chosen to sit, namely Leinster House, in order to participate in public meetings. I will not permit a member to participate where they are not adhering to this constitutional requirement. Therefore, any member who attempts to speak from outside the precincts will be asked to leave the meeting.
For the information of our 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 both the Constitution and statute, by absolute privilege. However, if evidence is given from outside the parliamentary precincts they may not benefit from the same level of immunity from legal proceedings as do those witnesses physically present. They are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice 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 the person or entity. Therefore, if their statements are potentially defamatory in respect of an identifiable person or entity, they will be directed to discontinue their remarks. It is imperative that they comply with any such direction.
I propose the usual arrangements for today's session. Witnesses will make their five minute opening statements. This is will be followed by questions and answers with the members, which will be in the range of between five and seven minutes. Members may speak more than once and will be called in accordance with weekly slot No. 3, which has been circulated to all members. Should the meeting continue for more than two hours we will take a break. At the request of the Working Group of Committee Cathaoirligh, we will endeavour to finish our meeting prior to 2 p.m. Is that agreed? Agreed.
There are just two other items which I want to mention first. In November 2022, the committee published, Report on the Summer Programme 2023, and earlier this month the committee wrote to all special schools to inquire if they were taking part in the summer programme 2023 and if not, why not. I encourage all schools to answer the committee's questions at the earliest convenience. We have in the region of approximately 50 replies as of this minute but there are more than 120 special schools and I ask all schools to please reply to the committee.
With regard to a proposal from the committee to make our Parliament, one of the first parliaments in the world, an autism-friendly parliament, I am delighted that we have an event tomorrow in the office of the Ceann Comhairle, hosted by the Ceann Comhairle, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. where details of the programme to make Leinster House an autism-friendly parliament will be announced, together with roll-out of a training programme for all parliamentary staff and Members - encompassing in the region of 1,500 staff members - over the next number of months to get our accreditation as one of the first parliaments in the world to be an autism-friendly one, and to take a lead. We met with the County and City Management Association, CCMA, in the past week and asked all local authorities to follow our lead and that all local authorities would engage in the same training to make all of their local premises an autism-friendly environment.
The first item on the agenda for our meeting today are the minutes of previous meetings and that we approve the meetings held on 30 March 2023 and on 18 April 2023. Are these agreed? Agreed.