Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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The agenda item for the day is a discussion on the views of children on Ireland's international obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and emerging issues for children in Ireland, including artificial intelligence, AI. We are delighted to be joined today by a number of young people representing the youth advisory panel which supports the Ombudsman for Children. We are also joined by the Ombudsman for Children, Dr. Niall Muldoon, and a number of supporting members of his team. As a committee with responsibility for children and youth, it is always great to be able to engage with young people. We are really happy about that.

For the information of members of the public who are following the meeting this afternoon, the advisory panel helps the office of the Ombudsman for Children to find out what children and young people are concerned about. Members of the panel highlight their concerns and opinions to the relevant people who make decisions about them. Today they will be speaking to the committee about their work with the United Nations and the concerns the panel has previously raised, especially about racism and diversity. The panel is also aware that this committee is examining the issue of AI and its impact on children. Members are happy to share some of their thoughts on that too. The advisory panel has also engaged with their friends and peers on these issues in various ways over recent years. The views and information we will hear from them this afternoon are representative of a much wider number of peers.

As I said, we are delighted you are here. Thanks so much for attending and for the work you did in advance of the meeting. The committee is extremely grateful to have the opportunity to hear directly from you and thanks everyone who fed into that process in advance of the meeting.

Witnesses should be aware that the Oireachtas is extremely busy, especially on a Tuesday, and as a result some members of the committee may have to leave at various points. Also, some members attend meetings via MS Teams, which is a whole new phenomenon for us since Covid, as it is in many areas. Everything that is said at our meetings is recorded, which means members have the opportunity to go back and read through the transcripts and look at the footage.

I will now deal with a few housekeeping matters. I wish to advise members in attendance that the chat function on MS Teams should only be used to make the team on site aware of any technical issues or urgent matters that arise during the meeting and should not be used to make general comments or statements. Members are reminded of the constitutional requirement that they must be physically present within the confines of the Leinster House complex in order to participate in public meetings. I will not permit a member to participate where he or she is not adhering to that constitutional requirement. If any member attempts to participate from outside the precincts, he or she will be asked to leave the meeting. In that regard, I ask those partaking via MS Teams to confirm that they are on the grounds of the Leinster House campus.

I will now deal with parliamentary privilege. This information is for both members and witnesses. In advance of inviting the witnesses to deliver their opening statements, I want to explain what parliamentary privilege means in the context of appearing before an Oireachtas committee. The evidence of witnesses and members physically present or those who give evidence from within the parliamentary precincts is protected, pursuant to both the Constitution and statute, by absolute privilege. This means that anything members or witnesses say today cannot be used against them in court. However, they should not criticise or make charges against any person or entity, either 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. As Cathaoirleach of the committee, if I am of the opinion that what witnesses or members are saying is potentially defamatory in relation to any person I will direct them to discontinue their remarks and it is imperative that they comply with any such direction. While I am legally obliged to provide this information, I have no fear that there will be any issue here today with what is said at this meeting and there should be no need for me to intervene.

I will now invite two members of the panel to deliver the opening statements. This will be followed by questions from members of the committee. Ciaran Smith and Rachel Fleming will deliver their opening statements and members' questions will be taken by Luke, Sienna and Bel.