The committee is in public session. I ask members to switch off their mobile phones, please. I have come without mine so that is a good way of dealing with it. This meeting has been convened for consideration of Committee Stage of the Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017, a Private Members' Bill sponsored by Deputies Róisín Shortall and Catherine Murphy. I welcome Deputy Shortall and the Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality, Deputy David Stanton, who is the former Chair of this committee. I also welcome his officials. Only one amendment has been proposed and at the outset, we will go straight to the business as there are likely to be early interruptions relating to matters on the floor of the Dáil.
