I welcome members and viewers who may be watching on Oireachtas TV to the public session of the Oireachtas Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach today. Members are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the House or unofficially by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable. I remind members of the constitutional requirement that they must be physically present within the confines of the place which Parliament has chosen to sit, namely, Leinster House, Dublin, in order to participate in the meeting. I cannot permit a member to participate where they are not so located.
I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Fleming. He is single-handed and has no officials with him. He will fight this one out on his own. There are more to come, I suspect.
In order to provide for a smooth running of the meeting, any member acting in substitution for a member of the committee should formally notify the clerk. Divisions may be taken as they arise and members must attend in person in the committee meeting room for divisions, although they can attend the meeting remotely. However, for a vote, they have be in the chamber. Members attending this meeting in substitute for others should be aware of the provisions of Standing Order 106(3) relating to the moving of and voting on amendments.