Apologies have been received from Deputy Flaherty, for whom Deputy Devlin will substitute.
Before we begin, I remind members that, due to the current Covid restrictions, only the Chairman and staff are present in the committee room. Members must join remotely from elsewhere in the parliamentary precincts. The secretariat can issue invitations to join the meeting on Microsoft Teams. Members may not participate in the meeting from outside the parliamentary precincts. It important to note that, in order to participate in a division on Committee Stage, members must be physically present in the committee room. If a division is called, the Minister and members must make their way to committee room 3.
I ask members to mute their microphones when not making a contribution, to use the raised hand function to indicate and to note that messages sent in the meeting chat are visible to all participants.
Speaking slots will be prioritised for members of the committee.
This meeting has been convened to consider Committee Stage of the Animal Health and Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021. I welcome the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy McConalogue, and his officials, who join our meeting from a witness room.